Shizukesa Town
by SanseiAme
Summary: He's...in love? With Lucy? No, he can't be in love with Lucy. She's his best friend. Then why is he acting so weird toward her? Why is she the only thing he thinks about? And why...why does his heart beat so fast when she smiles at him? He's overthinking this. He's not in love with Lucy. He sees Lucy as a friend, nothing more and nothing less. If only he could believe that himself.
1. Arrival

Chapter One – Arrival

**Author's Note: hey, guys! It's been awhile, hasn't it? I apologize. My computer was having some problems with the Internet, and before I could fix it, I had to pack it up for the big move. But I've finally got it unpacked and fixed, and I'm back with a vengeance! This story shouldn't take very long. I'm only planning on 6-9 chapters, give or take, depending on where it leads.**

**So before we get started, I'd just like to say a few things about my other works in progress. "Iridescent" is canceled. I didn't like where it was going at all, so I decided to give up on it. "Enemy Within" will definitely be finished, but I can't promise you a deadline. I've started working on some Fairy Tail stories (obviously), so go check out my profile for information about them.**

**Now, we begin! Enjoy!**

* * *

"Are we there yet?"

"Stop complaining, Natsu. It was your idea to walk instead of take a train. You really have to get over that motion sickness."

"You didn't answer my question, Luce."

"We're nearly there. Do you think you can hold out until then?"

"Do you?"

It was the middle of winter in Fiore. The snow was a foot thick blanket upon the ground, and the clouds covered the entire sky, blocking out the sun. It was freezing, to Lucy anyway. Right now, she and Natsu were heading out to a town they've never been to before for a vacation, which would've been a four hour train ride. But thanks to Natsu, they had been walking in the cold for nearly a day and a half. Of course, Natsu didn't acknowledge the freezing temperature, but his dear friend surely did. She was wearing black skinny jeans and winter boots, accompanied with a thick hooded jacket and gloves. Happy decided to stay in Magnolia, wanting to stay in a slightly warmer part of the kingdom. Well…that's what he told the two of them.

"I'll be fine," said Lucy, answering her companion's previous question. She lifted her gloved hands to her face and cupped them together, blowing out hot air to warm them. After that, it was a quiet journey to their destination, with the exception of the snow crunching beneath their feet. A few minutes later, they came across the town. "There it is, Shizukesa Town."

"Sweet! Let's go!" With that said, Natsu grabbed onto her hand and pulled her into the streets of Shizukesa.

* * *

Shizukesa was probably one of the nicest towns either of them have visited. The citizens were friendly, the buildings were small but beautifully built with brick, the stone sidewalk was swept clean of snow, and every store had signs that said "OPEN" or "WELCOME" in their windows. And it seemed Natsu and Lucy arrived with impeccable timing. It was the Heiwa Festival in the market. Colorful lights were strung across the streets, creating a beautiful light show against the snowflakes as they fell passed each other. There were jewelry, clothing, and produce booths scattered across the stone floor. An extravagant fountain sat in the heart of the market, and people gathered around as dancers dressed in flowing dresses and bright colors moved with the beat of the music that was playing loudly through the town. Despite the busy crowd, it didn't take very long for the couple of tourists to locate a nice hotel.

"Hello," said the woman behind the desk, her voice as cheery as her face. "How may I help you?"

"Hi," Lucy greeted, smiling kindly. "We would like a room."

"Of course. How long are you going to be staying with us?" Lucy looked to Natsu. It _was_ his idea to take this vacation, so it was up to him to decide how long he wanted to stay.

"One week," he answered. Lucy looked at him with wide, surprised eyes. "What? This place is nice. What's the point of coming to a new town if we're not gonna stick around for a while?"

"He has a point," said the woman. "I'm assuming this is your first time coming to Shizukesa, and since you came at such a magnificent time, I must tell you that you cannot leave without seeing the Heiwa Festival. It's a special occasion for this town. We do it every year. The festival lasts for three days, and it started today. As first timers, the two of you should most definitely explore Shizukesa. It really is a beautiful town, especially during this time of year."

"Alright, then," Lucy said, impressed with the woman's explanation. "We'll be staying for one week." The woman smiled and handed her a key to an available room.

"Excellent decision, young lady. It's twenty jewel a night." Lucy and Natsu stared in awe for a moment.

"Twenty jewel a night?" Natsu repeated. "Why so cheap?"

"Shizukesa is known for its hospitality being at low prices. But don't worry. We have a policy for having low prices for wizards with little money who are passing through. You won't be disappointed with our service, I assure you."

"Well, alright!" Natsu exclaimed as Lucy took the key.

"Your room will be on the second floor, room B113. Enjoy your stay, and welcome to Shizukesa Town."

* * *

"Wow, with a town this nice, I never would've expected them to be so…generous," Lucy said as she and Natsu navigated through the halls to their room.

"I know," he agreed. "I was expecting it to be seventy jewels a night, at the least, but twenty? I like it here."

"Me too. And the people are so nice! It's kinda refreshing, don't you think?"

"Uh huh." Lucy unlocked the door to their room and opened it. The two of them stayed in the door frame, amazed at how _nice_ the room was. It was _spotless,_ and the window at the end of the room had a perfect view of the festival going on outside. Natsu slowly stepped inside and opened the bathroom door. The bathroom was sparkling white with a light grey tiled floor, and the bathtub was big and porcelain, perfect for the bath Lucy planned to take. One the other side of the room, was a sliding glass door that led out onto a balcony that overlooked the market. The only problem was there was only one bed in the room, but both young wizards were too awestruck to notice. How on Earthland was this room only _twenty_ jewels a night?

"Holy Mavis," Natsu breathed. Lucy nodded silently and stepped into the room as well, absently closing the door behind her with her foot.


	2. First Day of the Heiwa Festival

Chapter Two – First Day of the Heiwa Festival

**Author's Note: wow, you guys! I logged into my email before I posted this chapter, and there were **_**thirty-five**_** unread emails, all of them were New Follower, New Favorite Story, and New Favorite Author alerts! Only one chapter, and I got such a warm reaction! Thank you! Let's see how many emails I'll have by the end of this story! I'll be counting!**

**Anyway, sorry it took so long for me to update this. I planned on doing it a week ago, but my Internet still sucks butt. And things got a little out of control around here. I'm sacrificing my precious sleep on a school night because of you guys, so I hope it's worth it. :3 This chapter is mostly just the two of them exploring the festival. I loved their friendship in the show as well as the manga, so I just wanted to get a cute chapter in the beginning of them…just being them.**

* * *

Lucy stood by the fountain in the middle of the crowd, trying to find the boy she lost a minute prior. Where did he go? The two of them went out to check out the Heiwa Festival after their shock from their hotel room had passed. She turned away for _one second_ and when she turned back, he'd vanished. She stood on her toes to search for his pink head of hair, but still didn't see any sign of him. She felt a tug on her leg and looked down to see a trembling, white Nikola. "Plue!" she exclaimed, kneeling down to him. "Did you find him?"

"Pun, pun…" he said sadly, shaking his head. Lucy clicked her tongue, disappointed. She gently placed a hand on his shaking head.

"Thank you for trying, Plue," she sighed. Plue lifted his head to look at her, a silly, open mouthed grin on his face.

"Pun, pun." She giggled at the cute little dog and sent him back to the spirit world. She attached his key to her key ring and turned around. She looked up and came face to face with a creepy, black mask. She shrieked and jumped back, her heart pounding against her chest. Her look of panic quickly switched into a glare when she noticed the pink hair. Natsu had snuck up behind her with a masquerade mask on his face to scare her, and was now laughing hysterically.

"Natsu!" she shouted, her face turning red with a blush. "You jerk!" Natsu pulled the mask from his head, his eyes tearing up from laughing so hard.

"You…you sh-shoulda seen y-your face!" he said between frantic intakes of air. He doubled over and clutched his stomach as images of Lucy's shocked face flashing across his mind, making it nearly impossible for him to sober up. "I-if only Ha…Happy w-was here!" Lucy narrowed her eyes, feeling the heat in her face intensify. She stalked up to him and put her hand on his shoulder, shoving him. He lost him balance and stumbled backward, his calves coming into contact with the fountain behind him, causing him fall in with a splash. Lucy froze, her eyes wide with surprise. She didn't _mean_ to push him into the fountain. She felt a little bad, but when she saw the look on his face when he sat up, his wet hair now flat and plastered to his face and his legs draped over the wall of the fountain, her guilt immediately vanished. The scene he made was _priceless,_ and Lucy couldn't stop herself from bursting into hysterics.

"You look ridiculous!" she teased, bending over just as Natsu did not even a minute ago. Natsu stared out into space, utterly confused at what just happened. Who put that fountain there? He looked up at Lucy to see her giggling uncontrollably at him. A hint of a grin twitched onto his lips. He supposed he deserved that. He of all people should've known better. It was only natural that his joke backfired. He sighed and lifted himself out of the water. He looked up at his friend and smirked mischievously.

"Lucy." She lifted her head, her eyes shimmering with tears of mirth. Her laughter quickly subsided when she saw the look on his face…and that he was holding out his arms. He wasn't going to… "Come here." Lucy shook her head, nervously beginning to back away from him.

"No."

"Come on," he pressed, stepping toward her, his soaked clothes dripping to the stone floor. "Give me a hug." An uneasy smile stretched across Lucy's face.

"No way."

"I just want a hug, Luce."

"You're not getting one."

"Please?"

"No."

"Why not?"

"You're not coming near me like that." Before she could even react, Natsu leapt toward her and gathered her in his arms, holding her against him. She screamed and tried to pry herself from him, but his arms remained firm across her back. His shirt was _freezing_, and the water was quickly soaking through her jacket. She squirmed, trying desperately to free herself.

"_Natsuuuu!"_ she screeched into his chest. "Let me go!" Natsu laughed.

"Why?" he asked innocently.

"Because you're freezing!" She was finally able to push him off of her and looked down at her jacket, which was now two or three shades darker than it should be. Her head snapped up to look at Natsu, whom was trying – but not succeeding – to conceal his amused expression. "You think this is funny?" she snapped harshly, a smile on her lips. She wasn't at all angry with him.

"No," he replied, allowing his grin to broaden. "I think it's hilarious!" Lucy playfully swiped a hand at him, smacking his shoulder across his Fairy Tail emblem.

"You're such a jerk, Natsu. I could get sick because of you."

"Baby."

Lucy let out an exasperated gasp. "Did you just call me a baby?"

"I sure as hell did. A whiney one, at that." Lucy scoffed and swung her hand at him again. He caught her by the wrist and gave her a disapproving look. "Hitting is rude, Luce," he said, shaking his head and waggling his finger like you would to a toddler.

"You have no room to talk," she countered, yanking her hand from his grip. "Mr. Plan T."

Natsu laughed. "It's not like you ever let me _use_ Plan T," he said. "You'd rather be sneaky and stealthy than just blast through the front door, even though Plan T _is_ easier and faster, not to mention more exciting. You really need to blow stuff up more, Luce."

"No thanks," she refused, turning and walking into the crowd. "I like my life, thank you very much." Natsu rolled his eyes and caught up to her, briefly igniting his flames to dry his clothes.

"So," he began, craning his neck to take a look around. "Where to? It's a big town, and we got three days to see the festival. Where do you wanna go first?" Lucy shook her head, mimicking his actions.

"I don't even know. Like you said, this place is huge. Let's just walk around. Who knows what we'll find."

* * *

"Ah, welcome, young ones!" greeted the man behind the counter of the store named _Shizukesa Sweets._ "Please, come in. Feel free to look around. Everything is on sale during the festival. One hundred percent off."

Natsu's eyes widened. "Everything here is _free?"_ he asked, incredulous.

"But of course. It's the Heiwa Festival, no?" There was a pause, and then the man's smile changed from friendly to understanding. "Ah. You two are not from around here, are you?"

"It's that obvious?" Lucy giggled, approaching the counter to browse the baked goods behind the glass.

"I noticed that mark on your arm," he said, pointing to Natsu's emblem. "You're from Fairy Tail, right, lad?"

Natsu nodded. "That's right."

"Hmm. If I remember correctly, Fairy Tail is in Magnolia, no? What in Earthland are you doing all the way out here?"

"Holiday," Lucy answered, smiling kindly at the nice man. "My friend and I decided we needed a break from being wizards, you know?"

"Yes, I understand. I'm no wizard, I don't even know how to use magic, but I'm sure it's a very demanding occupation."

"I'm not sure if 'demanding' is the right word, but I know where you're getting at," Natsu said. "It can be difficult at times, but I wouldn't give it up for anything." Lucy shook her head.

"Nope. Not even for all the money in Fiore. He's an adrenaline junkie." The man laughed.

"Being a wizard, it seems you would have to be," he said, his smile showing off his white teeth. "Especially in a guild like Fairy Tail." Natsu nodded and slung an arm over Lucy's shoulders.

"You'd think, right? But not this one." Lucy smacked him lightly on the chest. She pointed to the glass.

"What is this?" she asked, looking up at the man with curiosity. He grinned.

"Ah. That is my new cookies and cream fudge. Would the two of you like a piece?" Natsu shook his head.

"Not for me."

"He's not one for sweets. Like I said, he's an adrenaline junkie. He's likes his food spicy. But I'll have one."

"'Not one for sweets?'" the man repeated, smiling as he bent down to grab a piece of the fudge. "You do know what the name of this shop is, right, lad?"

Natsu chuckled. "Yes, I am aware," he said, nodding toward Lucy. "But she dragged me in here."

"I didn't drag you anywhere," she defended, taking the fudge that was offered to her. "You came in here willingly." She gave her thanks to the man behind the counter as the two of them turned to leave.

"Before you leave, I would like to advise you two to come back out for the spring," he said as Natsu opened the door. "The sakura trees here are beautiful." He paused and thought for a moment, a smile forming on his face. "Although, you two live in Magnolia, so maybe our trees are nothing compared to your rainbow sakura." Lucy laughed.

"They are beautiful, but I would love to come see this town in the spring. Thanks again!" And with that, the two wizards left the store, leaving the owner grinning.

"Young love…" he murmured under his breath.

* * *

It was dark by the time the two of them came back to the hotel. They had bought, well…_were given_ many interesting souvenirs throughout the day, and had explored not even half of Shizukesa. It was a good thing they had a week to do so, because three days, mixed in with the festival, would not be enough for anybody to get a good look of the town.

Lucy was practically dragging her feet by the time they reached their room. She opened the door and waddled over to the bed, plopping down on the mattress and taking off her boots. She groaned as she began to rub her feet. "My feet are killing me," she said, looking up at Natsu as he sleepily closed the door behind him. He grunted as an acknowledgment to her speaking, kicking off his own shoes on his way to the bed. He fell onto it behind her, his face buried in the plump white pillow. She rolled her eyes and approached her bag to dig out some extra clothes. She patted his shoulder. "I'm going to take a bath," she said, already walking toward the bathroom. She heard him say something that might've been an "okay." She couldn't really tell since he was speaking into the pillow.

When Natsu heard the water running, he pushed himself onto his knees. His eyes were half closed, his drowsiness making his eye lids extremely heavy. He wanted nothing more than to go to sleep right then, but he couldn't. Not yet. Lucy wasn't there. He needed to tell her goodnight before he could go to sleep.

Which he thought was weird.


	3. The Bookstore

Chapter Three – The Bookstore

* * *

Natsu and Lucy involuntarily started the day early. They were woken up around seven due to the commotion outside. It was particularly cold that morning, much to Lucy's discomfort. They had been admiring the dancers and performers for a few hours, and went to a small café for lunch. The food was surprisingly exquisite for such a small café, but it was amazing and for a low price, just like everything else in Shizukesa. After their meal, they walked around to go through all the small shops and booths, like at an amusement park. It was well after noon, and the temperature hadn't gotten any warmer. If anything, it was colder than it was that morning. Lucy shivered as they walked down the stone path, rubbing her hands up her arms. "I should've brought a thicker jacket," she said, trying to keep her voice from shaking. Natsu scoffed.

"It's not that bad," he said, nudging her with his elbow.

"Speak for yourself. How are all of these people unfazed by the temperature?"

"They're used to it?"

"Shut up." Natsu rolled his eyes and shook his head. She was being overdramatic. It's not _that_ cold. He barely noticed it. You'd think she'd have a higher tolerance to the cold than this, considering the clothes she wears. He was a little surprised that she was actually wearing pants and long sleeves. He never thought he'd live to see the day. He snickered to himself, turning away to keep Lucy from hearing him. She did despite his efforts. "What're you laughing at?" Natsu shook his head and faced forward, a wide grin stretching across his face as he tried to stifle his amusement.

"Nothing," he lied. He could just crack himself up sometimes. He could feel Lucy's eyes staring at him, so he turned his head to look down at her. He chuckled as soon as they made eye contact, her brown eyes narrowed into a suspicious glare. He held up his hands in defense. "Honest!"

"Mmm, hmm," she hummed, unconvinced. She peeled her gaze away from him and her eyes instantly landed on something to her interest. She quickened her pace, causing Natsu to do the same to keep up with her. He followed her excited gaze, his eyes landing on the sign of a bookstore. Figures. There had to be at least one in this town, and Lucy finally found it. The two of them might be there for a while… A bell rang when Lucy opened the door, and a woman in her mid-thirties or so looked at them over her shoulder. She smiled and turned, holding five large encyclopedias in her hands.

"Good afternoon, youngsters," she said merrily. She set the books down on a table and moved her dark brown hair from her face. "Welcome to my shop. Are you looking for anything in particular?" Lucy politely shook her head.

"No, I like to be surprised," she said, stepping further into the store. The brunette nodded.

"Of course. Feel free to browse the store. If you need anything, my name is Amaya. I will answer any questions that you might have."

"Thank you, Amaya," Lucy said, already making her way into the maze of novels. Amaya smiled and nodded to Natsu as he followed behind her. He smiled and nodded back to her. She scooped the books back into her arms as if it were nothing, and continued in the direction she was headed when they entered. Lucy slowly scanned the shelves for a name that caught her interest, Natsu walking behind her. He blankly looked at each book's title. He didn't really care for literature, thought it was boring and a waste of time. He would never understand why Lucy loved reading as much as she did. No matter the book, he didn't see the point in reading whatever it was. He was just as uninterested in reading as Lucy was with watching grass grow. He thought about that statement for a moment. Did _anyone_ find joy in watching grass grow?

Lucy had stopped to pull out a book, and Natsu, distracted with his thoughts of grass, failed to notice and bumped into her. "Sorry," he said quickly. It wasn't until she looked back to the book in her hands when he smelled it. There was something sweet somewhere near him. He sniffed and looked around, trying to find the source of the smell. He didn't know what it was, but he did know it smelled _delicious._ It was intoxicating. If only he could just find the source… He turned back to Lucy to ask her if she smelled anything, but then it hit him. As soon as he faced her, the smell doubled. He took a step away from her, and the scent diminished. Confused, he shook his head to clear his mind. The cold weather might actually be getting to him. He approached the shelf behind her to look through the books for no complete reason, but he couldn't get his attention off of that smell… He tried to ignore it, to block it out, but he was unable to remove his thoughts from it for even a second.

Natsu slowly looked over his shoulder at Lucy, her back to him as she read a sample of a book she picked up. The sweet scent that was emanating off of her was overwhelming his willpower. Before he knew it, he was leaning in to get a closer proximity. The smell was quickly increasing and he felt himself losing to it. This close, he could finally register what it was. Cherries...

"Hey, Natsu?" The dragon slayer came crashing back to Earthland when he heard his name and jumped back, his back coming into contact with the bookshelf behind him. Lucy turned to him, still looking down at the book. "What do you think…" She trailed off as she looked up at him. "Are you alright?" Natsu vehemently nodded his head.

"Yeah, of course," he said quickly. Lucy raised an eyebrow.

"You sure? You seem…out of it."

Why was heart his beating so fast? It was like he had just sprinted a mile. And why was his face warm? Was he…blushing? Why was he blushing? He didn't even think about it. He ran out of the store like there was a monster chasing after him. He burst out the door, his breathing heavy. He ran a hand through his hair, relieved to feel the coolness of the winter air on his face. _What the hell was that?_ he thought to himself. _What the __hell__ was I doing? Since when did Lucy smell like that? Why is my heart beating so fast? All she did was ask me a question! What in Edolas…_

* * *

**Author's Note: sorry it was so short. I had terrible writer's block while writing this chapter, and I completely rushed it. Hopefully it wasn't too bad, though. At least I got it up within a short amount of time. And if it was terrible, don't stop reading because I've already written the next chapter, and I'll tell you this right now, it's gonna be good. I'm just gonna edit it, and maybe wait a few days just to torture you. *Evil laugh***

**Praise is always welcome. Just don't waste your time and mine with your negativity.**


	4. Awkward

Chapter Four - Awkward

**Author's Note: I had **_**so**_** much fun writing this chapter. And I know I said I was gonna wait a few days to update, but I was just too excited to get this one up. I hope you guys like this one, because I really do. :3**

* * *

Natsu nearly jumped out of his skin when a hand touched his shoulder, and he spun around to see Lucy, whom was giving him a weird look. "Are you alright?" she asked, slightly tilting her head to the side. Natsu immediately noted how cute it was, but quickly shoved that thought out of his head, or tried to. He blushed, inwardly scolding himself. What was he thinking?

"Y-yeah," he stammered, trying to ignore the burning in his cheeks and play it off. "Why wouldn't I be?"

"You ran out of the store like lightning."

"Oh. I, uh…I just needed some air. It was a little stuffy in there." Natsu prayed to Mavis that Lucy would believe him, and she almost did. It was just…

"Your face is all red," she stated, reaching up to touch his forehead with the back of her hand. "And your skin is burning. Are you sure you're okay?" Natsu pulled away, afraid the blush would darken if her hand lingered for too long. He smiled, hoping to reassure her enough to drop the subject.

"I'm fine, really. Did you find anything?" he asked, glancing down at the bag in her hand. The answer to that question was obvious, hence the bag in her hand, but he really wanted to talk about something else, _anything_ else. Lucy wasn't satisfied with what he had said to her, but decided it was best to leave it be.

"Yeah, a few things, actually," she answered slowly. Natsu stared at her, waiting for her to elaborate. She began to walk down the stone path as she reached into the plastic bag to show him what she bought. He jogged a little to catch up with her, and tried to listen as she briefly explained each of the five books. He tried his best to pay attention to what she was saying, he _really_ did, but he just couldn't. He couldn't stop himself from staring. He couldn't help but notice how soft her hair looked, and how the bright snow gleamed in her chocolate brown eyes, and how full her lips were. They looked as if they were begging to be kissed.

"Natsu." Natsu blinked when he heard his name. He realized that Lucy had finished speaking and her gaze was now focused on his. Shit, how long had he been staring? More importantly, _why_ was he thinking about _kissing_ her?

"Yeah?"

"Why're you looking at me like that?"

Natsu immediately turned away, another blush threatening to sneak up his neck. "No reason," he said quickly. _Atta boy, Natsu_, he thought sarcastically to himself, rolling his eyes. _Way to be subtle._ He continued to chide himself as he walked, but he stopped when he realized she wasn't beside him anymore. "Lucy?" he called, looking over his shoulder. She was standing several feet behind him, staring off into space. He turned toward her. "Lucy?" She didn't move, just continued to gaze at something to her left. Raising an eyebrow in confusion, he approached her and followed her gaze, his eyes coming to a stop on an ice skating rink. He turned his head to look at her, grinning when he saw her expression. He gently nudged her with his elbow, causing her to blink and look up at him. He nodded to the rink.

"Wanna go?" he asked, showing off his fangs as he smiled. He was slightly surprised when she shook her head, grinning nervously.

"No, it's okay," she said, waving her hands in front of herself, like telling someone to stop.

"Aw, come on," he pressed, taking her hand and pulling her toward the rink. She pulled back, trying to free herself from his grip, but his hand remained firm on her own.

"Natsu, no." Natsu stopped and looked at her.

"Why not?" he inquired, giving her arm a light tug. "It'll be fun."

"I can't."

"What do you mean?"

"I've never done it before." Natsu snorted, causing her to blush. He softened his smile and tugged on her hand.

"You'll be fine."

Lucy shook her head again. "What if I fall?"

"I won't let you," he promised, his voice sincere. "Come on." He gave her hand one last tug, and she finally complied, allowing him to lead her to the rink. She stared at their intertwined hands, another blush dusting her cheeks. His hand was so warm…

* * *

Natsu slowly moved backwards across the rink, holding onto Lucy's hands as he pulled her along. Lucy was staring at her feet, afraid that she would slip if she were to look up, while Natsu's gaze was fixed on her face. She was so cute when she was concentrating. He shook his head. What's with all of these random thoughts all of a sudden? "Okay, I'm letting go now," he warned, carefully removing his hands.

"No, wait!" Lucy yelled, not yet ready to do this on her own. She waved her arms as she tried to keep her balance. "Whoa…"

"There you go." She looked up at him to see an encouraging grin on his face. She smiled back as he motioned for her to come to him. She carefully pushed herself forward, but just as she thought would happen, she slipped and stumbled into his chest. Out of instinct, she gripped his shirt as she attempted to regain her balance. "Told you I wouldn't let you fall," he said softly. She smiled and pushed herself up to look at him. Both of them froze at how close their faces were. After a moment of silence, he felt that annoyingly familiar heat in his face, which was his cue to release an awkward laugh. He steadied her and pulled away.

"Thanks," Lucy murmured, her face heating up as well. "For catching me."

"It's nothing," he dismissed, his voice muffled as he his his face in his scarf. "You've had worse falls." Lucy stifled a giggle at how cute he was at the moment, trying to hide his blush from her and play it cool. He was adorable when he was embarrassed. It wasn't very often when she got to see him like this.

"We should…um…probably get going," she suggested after a while. Natsu looked up at her, slightly disappointed that she wanted to leave so soon. He was about to ask why, but she answered his question before he even had the chance to ask it. "It's getting dark. And I don't know about you, but I'm already pretty cold with the sun out." Natsu nodded slowly. He supposed that made sense, but he was still a little let down.

"Yeah," he said softly, trying to mask his voice with passive agreement. But his disappointment was still evident in his tone. "Okay."

The walk back to the hotel was long and quiet. Neither of them had realized how far they'd wandered until the sun had set completely and they were _still_ on their way back. It had begun to snow a few minutes ago, which gave off the perfect mood. He stole a glance at her every now and then. She noticed every time, shyly turning her head to look back at him. Their eyes would connect for not even a second before they quickly looked away. He'd never felt like such a moron before. But despite how stupid he felt, he couldn't keep himself from stealing peeks at her. She was just simply gorgeous, her hands buried deep in her pockets as she tried to keep them warm, her nose flushed red from the cold. Why hadn't he noticed how pretty she was before?

"Natsu?" she said after a few minutes, turning to him with a questioning look. Natsu looked down at her.

"What?"

"You've been acting…strange since we left that store," she said slowly. "Is there something wrong?"

Natsu chuckled and shook his head. "Nah."

Lucy lifted an eyebrow. "Then…why do you keep looking at me with that weird look on your face?"

"I was just looking at how beautiful you are," he blurted, the words slipping passed his lips before he could register what he was saying. Lucy's eyes widened and she turned away, a raging blush taking over her features. Natsu's face turned just as red, if not more. He automatically lifted a hand to rub the back of his neck, awkwardly clearing his throat. _Smooth,_ he thought bitterly. After a moment of unpleasant silence, Lucy tentatively looked up at him.

"R-Really?" she stuttered. Natsu glanced at her through the corner of his eye before nodding, feeling the heat in his face increase. She released a breathy laugh, catching his attention and he slowly turned his head to look at her. "You…you think I'm beautiful?" If it was even possible, his face turned even darker, and he felt the blush extend down his neck. He didn't answer, just lifted his scarf above his nose to hide his scarlet face. He'd never been so embarrassed in his life. Lucy couldn't hide the nervous giggle, switching her gaze to her feet as they walked. "Thank you, Natsu," she said sweetly. Natsu moved his scarf higher up on his face.

He wanted to crawl into a hole.


	5. A Slap Upside the Head

Chapter Five – A Slap Upside the Head

* * *

That night, Natsu couldn't sleep. He was out on the balcony of his and Lucy's hotel room, pacing back and forth. What…in Edolas…was _that?_ Why had he acted so weird towards Lucy all day? What was with all his crazy thoughts? He just didn't understand. Ever since he was entranced by her smell, he had been acting like a moron. He groaned and looked passed the glass door at Lucy, whom was asleep on the bed inside. Why…why was he feeling different towards her all of a sudden? He turned away and growled, gripping his hands along the metal railing, hanging his head.

"Natsu?" said a male voice. Startled, Natsu spun around to see a young man with orange hair in a suit and sunglasses.

"Loke?" Natsu asked, confused as to why he was there. "What're you doing here?"

"I sensed distress. I thought that Lucy might be in trouble, but I supposed it wasn't Lucy's distress I felt, was it?" Natsu lifted an eyebrow.

"What're you getting at?"

Loke ignored his question and clasped his hands together. "What's wrong, Natsu?"

Natsu scoffed. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Come on, dude. Something's wrong. I can feel it. Tell me. We're both men, aren't we?" Natsu rolled his eyes and turned away from him, gazing out into the winter night sky. He nervously tapped his fingers against the rail.

"It's…It's about Lucy," he said slowly, avoiding Loke's knowing gaze. Loke chuckled.

"Ah, so you've finally realized it, have you?" The dragon slayer turned to the celestial spirit as he joined him against the railing.

"Realized what?" Loke stared at him, incredulous at his friend's density.

"Seriously?" The fire wizard lifted an eyebrow, waiting for his nakama to elaborate. Loke snorted and covered his mouth with his hand to stifle his amusement. Natsu narrowed his eyes.

"What?" he repeated sharply, getting a little irritated. Loke shook his head as he continued to laugh.

"You know, I've seen how stupid you can get, Natsu, but it never ceases to amaze me how brainless you can be." He lifted his sunglasses to wipe a tear from his eye. "I'm talking about your feelings toward Lucy, numbnuts."

"My feelings toward Lucy?" Natsu repeated.

"Yes. You've finally realized that you're in love with her." Natsu choked on his own saliva, feeling his face heat up for the millionth time that day.

"W-W-What?" he stammered. "I…I'm not _in love_ with Lucy!"

"Bullshit," said the celestial spirit.

"You've got it all wrong!" Natsu insisted, his blush darkening. "Lucy's my friend! I'm not in love with her!"

Loke laughed once. "'Friend' my ass! You like her, bro. Admit it."

"She's my best friend! Of course I like her!" Loke couldn't hide his entertainment even if he wanted to.

"Wow, dude. Look at you. Bottling up all those emotions over the years, and look where it got you. You're out on a balcony having an emotional breakdown over her. You may be one of the bravest wizards in Fairy Tail, but you can be such a wuss. I mean, you charge into battle without even thinking, and yet you are completely incapable of summoning the courage to tell the girl how you feel, even after all this time! Tsk, tsk."

"It's nothing like that! I-I-I only like her as a friend!"

"Quit lying to yourself, Natsu," Loke advised, shaking his head. "It isn't healthy. Just accept the fact that you've been in love with her since the beginning."

"_I'm not in love with Lucy!_"

"Alright, since you're so sure that you're not, in fact, in love with her, answer these questions. Be honest, now." Natsu relaxed a little, waiting for Loke's first question. "Why did you dig up a tree for her?"

"I…I felt sorry for her," he answered slowly. Loke grinned and shook his head.

"You couldn't stand the thought of her being disappointed," he explained. "She was sad, and it was driving you _crazy._ You had to do something to make her feel better." Natsu looked away. It's not true… It can't be true. "Why does your motion sickness miraculously get better if your head is in her lap?" Well, shit. He didn't have an answer to that one. He honestly had no idea. He never really thought about it before. "Because she comforts you. She calms you down, makes you feel safe. Why do you spend more time at her house than you do your own?"

"Uh…b-because…"

Loke answered for him before he could get his full response out. "Because it's drenched in her scent. You can't get enough of it, can you?" Natsu thought about earlier that day when they were at the bookstore. He had gotten hypnotized by her scent, her beautiful, _delicious_ scent. "Why do you walk her home every night? Because you're scared something will happen to her, and you won't be there to save her."

"No," the dragon slayer interjected, shaking his head. "I know Lucy can take care of herself."

"Be that as it may, it doesn't mean you can't worry," Loke said softly. "You don't want to risk the chance of her getting hurt and not being able to help her." The lion paused to let his words sink in, creating a long silence between the two guild mates. Natsu quickly repeated everything Loke said in his head. All of it was true, now that he thought about it. "You think about her all the time, don't you?" the lion asked quietly after a minute. He did. He knew he did, there was no denying it. Every random thought eventually made its way back to the blonde. Taking his silence as an answer, Loke continued. "You've thought about kissing her, haven't you?"

Natsu swallowed the lump in his throat. He was so nervous, he wasn't even fidgeting. He stood completely still. "Yes…" he whispered, his voice barely audible.

"You can't stand being away from her, can you?"

He hesitated, but quickly shook his head. "No."

"You want to punch anyone that hits on her, don't you?"

He gritted his teeth. "Definitely."

"You would do anything for her, wouldn't you?"

His jaw slackened, and he nodded. "Anything."

"You want to protect her, don't you?"

That was a stupid question. "With my life."

Loke smiled triumphantly. "Then guess what, dimwit. You're in love with her. You've always been in love with her." Realization hit him like a slap upside the head. Natsu never understood why he felt such a strong attachment to her. He was always so excited to see her, to talk to her, to hear her laugh, to look into those enticing, beautiful, _mesmerizing_ brown eyes. He absolutely loved the way she said his name. Hugging her was the highlight of his day. He blushed whenever she thanked him, complimented him, or touched his hand. It physically hurt him to see her cry. He had this fluttering feeling in his stomach whenever she looked at him. He was completely incapable of saying "no" to her. His heart would go into spasms when he carried her on his back. He thought it was incredibly cute when she was mad. He would get this terrible, sinking feeling if she wouldn't talk to him. He wanted to be with her, he _needed_ to be with her. He would do anything to make the night last longer just so he could spend that much more time with her. It was his daily goal to make her smile. Watching her get hurt sends an intense wave of panic through his body.

He didn't understand any of this until now. He…he really has been in love with her from the beginning, hasn't he? Since that fateful day in Hargeon. He would never admit it, but that whole thing on the port, when he fought Bora, he went overboard to impress her. He could've easily taken care of Bora without using his roar or iron fist, but he took the opportunity to show off, demonstrate how strong he was and what he was capable of. The first time he snuck into her house was mostly just to see her again, and he made a habit of it for that exact reason. He said he'd chosen her to be on his team because she "seemed like a nice person." That was half of the truth. The other half was because he wanted to spend more time with her, get to know her. Despite his dislike of literature, he thought it was cool that she was writing a novel. He even wanted to read it. And not just to irritate her. Sure, he got a few kicks in embarrassing her by reading it without permission, but he was genuinely interested in her writing. Of course, he would never admit any of this to her, or _anyone_ for that matter.

Lucy was one of the most important people in his life. He had a soft spot in his heart for her, and he knew it. He was pretty sure that Happy knew it, and he had a feeling that Lucy herself knew it as well. And from what Loke implied, the whole guild knew it. Natsu laughed at himself. He really was an idiot. Two years with Lucy, not including the seven-year time skip, and he was just realizing this _now?_ Lucy had been his best friend for _two years,_ and it just hit him how important she was to him. Well, he always knew she was important to him. But it was nearly impossible for him to remember his life before she walked right into it. She _was_ his life. And just like he told Loke, he would do anything for her. He would fight to the death for her. He would go to Hell and back if it was for her sake.

Natsu turned to continue speaking with Loke, but he was gone, a small cloud of smoke drifting into the night sky. He sighed and leaned against the metal rail. He didn't know how he was ever going to repay Loke for slapping some sense into him. He looked over his shoulder at the glass door, his eyes landing on Lucy's sleeping form, her back facing him. He smiled and looked away. And then something struck him like lightning.

He's alone with Lucy for another five days.

He's alone with the girl he loves…for another _five days._

Shit…

* * *

**Author's Note: this chapter was fun to write. I tried to make it longer, but I was running out of ideas to keep it going. Anyway, I hope you guys liked it. Please review if you did! And if you didn't, well…you know the drill.**


	6. Lucy

Chapter Six – Lucy

* * *

It was like a blizzard the morning of the last day of the Heiwa Festival. It'd started snowing in the middle of the night, and it was getting close to noon. It still won't let up. Lucy was huddled in her jacket, her hands stuffed deep into her pockets and her arms flat against her sides. She walked with her legs together to keep them warm. She glanced at Natsu through the corner of her eye. She envied how he could just walk through a blizzard so casually. The only part of him that looked bothered was his eyes, which were squinted as he struggled to see. He wasn't even wearing his one-sleeved shirt, but his vest instead. And his pants ended mid-calf and he was wearing sandals! How could he _possibly_ not be bothered by the cold even a little bit? It would've been an ice hell for Lucy if the town wasn't so beautiful. The colorful lights that were strung over them made created a fantastic sight, and even the dancers were out having fun.

Lucy sniffed and tried to huddle in closer on herself, an audible shiver wracking her body. Natsu looked down at her. "You sure you don't just wanna go back to the hotel until it stops snowing?" he asked. Lucy shook her head.

"I'm sure," she answered, her voice shaking. "Who knows when it will stop." She looked up at him and smiled. He seemed apprehensive about her response, but accepted it all the same. He nodded and faced forward. Lucy furrowed her brow. Why was he acting so weird? He was acting completely different, like something was bothering him. She did a bold move and removed her hand from her pocket, which she immediately regretted. The cold bit at her skin like needles. She wanted to hiss, but resisted. She gently placed her hand on his shoulder. Even though she knew his body temperature was always above normal, she was still surprised at how warm he was.

"Natsu," she said. He turned to her, looking at her expectantly. "What's wrong?" Natsu lifted an eyebrow.

"Nothing's wrong, Luce," he said, shaking his head. Lucy was unconvinced.

"Please don't lie to me, Natsu. You've avoided looking in my eyes all morning. Ever since we left that store yesterday, you've been acting like…not you. Something's up. Tell me what's wrong." A soft grin curled onto Natsu's face.

"Luce, I'm not lying to you. Nothing's wrong. I promise." Lucy held his gaze for the first time that day. She wasn't completely convinced, but decided to drop it. She was about to speak, but she turned away and sneezed into shoulder. Natsu chuckled. "Alright, let's go back to the hotel. You're gonna get sick."

* * *

Natsu shook the snow out of his hair like a dog the moment he stepped into their room. Lucy came in behind him, shivering violently. She sneezed, causing Natsu to grin and snicker. He couldn't help but love the sound she made when she sneezed. It was like a mouse. "Go take a hot bath or something," he told her. Lucy sniffed and nodded. "I'll go downstairs and get you some tissues. Do you want anything else?"

"Some tea," she suggested, her voice congested. Natsu smiled and handed her a towel and some extra clothes.

"You got it." He patted her shoulder before he walked out the door and down the hall. Lucy headed into the bathroom and closed the door behind her. She set her clothes on the sink and approached the bathtub, turning the knob. She held her hand under the water and adjusted the temperature until it was to her liking and stood up. She removed her soaked jacket and shirt, her muscles tensing when her cold hair touched her back. As soon as the tub was full, she stepped in and sank into the water as far as she could. She sighed, feeling the cold melt away.

"So much for seeing the whole festival," she murmured to herself, although she wasn't actually disappointed. She was actually kind of glad that Natsu made her go back to the hotel. She would've frozen over if he hadn't. Of all the people she could've been with, she was lucky it was him. If it were Gray, she would've been in absolute trouble. He wouldn't be much help if she were to freeze. If anything, he'd make it worse by trying to help her. After Natsu finished laughing at her, he would've easily defrosted her.

Lucy's thoughts casually drifted to the dragon slayer. Why had he been acting so weird? She _knew_ there had to be a reason. Usually he would talk to her if something was bothering him. Well, not talk _about_ whatever was bothering him, but would at least tell her that something was wrong. She was kind of annoyed by that part of him. He would tell her there was something negative on his mind, but then he would fly passed it like he hadn't said anything. She knew she shouldn't allow something like that to get to her. He was a guy, and guys were known for not talking about their feelings. But it just _really_ bugged her. It was like when a fly flew passed your ear and stayed there. She hated that noise, and it was all she heard when he pulled that stunt.

_Buzz, buzz, buzz, buzz, buzz_

Lucy sighed. Maybe she was being a little harsh. But him not talking to her about what was wrong with him was just one of those things. Like a metal fork against a plate, or someone smacking their lips, or clicking a pen repeatedly. It was just one small thing that annoyed her to all hell. She didn't understand how boys could not talk about their feelings. It feels so much better when you do, like a heavy weight was just lifted off your shoulders. The burden is still there, but telling someone really makes you feel better, even in just the slightest. Of course, if she were to say any of this to Natsu, he would just snort and say "you're such a weirdo, Luce."

She laughed to herself. Even after all this time that the two of them have been friends, she still didn't understand how _she_ was the weird one. She just didn't get it. And she didn't dare ask him. She knew him all too well to ask him why she was a weirdo. He's also called her scary. Again, she had no idea why she, Lucy Heartphilia, was the scary one over Natsu Dragneel. It just didn't seem possible that the blonde, small, celestial wizard could be scarier than the loud-mouthed, muscular, dragon slayer. Then again, when he wasn't in the middle of a fight, Natsu was anything but scary. Loud? Yes. Obnoxious? Definitely. But not scary. He was the happiest, friendliest, funniest guy in Magnolia. He was just full of eccentric energy. Natsu was everybody's friend. Nothing could ever take away that big, goofy grin on his face.

Lucy jumped when she heard the door open. She listened as Natsu walked into their room with what sounded like a plastic bag. "Luce?" he called. "You alright in there?"

"I'm in a bathroom, Natsu," she answered, rolling her eyes. "There's not much that can go wrong in here." She heard him laugh, and all she could picture was that grin. She laughed as well and pulled herself out of the tub. Dried and dressed in a tank top and sweatpants, drained the tub and stepped out of the bathroom. She giggled as soon as she saw Natsu. He was standing in the middle of the room, shaking his head free of snow. "I thought you said you were just going downstairs." Natsu looked up at her.

"They didn't have tea downstairs," he said, smiling his iconic smile.

"You didn't have to go back into the snow to get me some tea."

"I know I didn't _have_ to, but you asked for some tea. So I got you some." Whoa. That was actually…thoughtful of Natsu. Lucy was touched.

"Aw, where would I be without you?" she asked, striding over to the bed and sitting cross-legged on the mattress. Natsu chuckled.

"Who knows?" He sat down next to her with the plastic bag. He reached in and pulled out a box of tissues, tossing it into her lap. He pulled out some tea bags next, holding them out for her to take. "I had to go back into the snow for that, so you'd better enjoy it." Lucy rolled her eyes and took the tea into her hand.

"Thanks, Natsu." The dragon slayer showed her his fangs.

"No problem, Luce." He tousled her hair and stood up. Lucy watched him walk to the bathroom as she fixed her hair. He was an idiot sometimes, but she didn't know what her life would be like without him.

* * *

**Author's Note: sorry for the slow update. I've been getting ready to go on a vacation for Thanksgiving, and I've been stalling on my homework…**

**Anyway, I've been revolving this story around Natsu, so I decided to write a chapter for Lucy. I hope it was alright. If it was, you know what to do. ;)**


	7. In Sickness

Chapter Seven – In Sickness

**Author's Note: **_**I feel a million miles away, still you connect me in your way  
And you created me, something I would've never seen  
When I can only see the floor, you made my window a door  
So when they say they don't believe, I hope that they see you and me  
After all the lights go down, I'm just the words, you are the sound  
A strange type of chemistry, how you've become a part of me  
And when I sit alone at night, your thoughts burn through me like a fire  
You're the only one who knows who I really am**_

**That song is "Be Somebody" by Thousand Foot Krutch. I absolutely love that song. But no, it doesn't have anything to do with this chapter, it's just been stuck in my head for the past few hours.**

**So…I have some good news. Remember back in the first chapter when I said this story will only be from 6-9 chapters? Well…I've decided I'm gonna make it longer, considering we're only on their third day of the week. I apologize for the shortness of this chapter. It was meant to be longer, at least around 2,000 words, but I completely blanked on the plan I had for this chapter. I don't remember what it was or what happened in it, but I do remember that it was good. -.- Nevertheless, I hope it's not too bad.**

* * *

Lucy had gotten slightly worse as the day progressed. She was sitting in bed with her back up against the wall, and there was a pile of tissues on the floor. Her nose was red and she had small bags under her eyes. She sniffed and looked up at Natsu as he approached her with a small glass in his hand. "Here's your tea," he said, reaching out to give it to her. "It's hot." Only Natsu would be able to say that while he himself held it as if it were lukewarm. Lucy turned away to sneeze before gingerly removing the cup from his grasp. Natsu cringed. Her sneezes had gotten worse too. Instead of being a cute little _chu_, they were now raspy and loud. She was constantly blowing her nose. At this rate, he would have to go get her third box of tissues soon.

"Thank you," she said, her voice terribly congested and slurred. She sniffed again before lifting the hot liquid to her lips. She lowered the cup to rest in her lap. "I'm sorry that we couldn't see the rest of the festival." Natsu chuckled. She sounded funny.

"Don't worry about it," he dismissed, settling himself on his knees beside the bed and resting his arms on the mattress beside her. "I'd rather be here making you tea than out there in the blizzard." Lucy smiled softly and lifted a hand to tousle his hair, but he pulled away with a fake look of disgust. "Don't touch me with your germ-infested hands." Lucy laughed and quickly ran the palm of her hand down the side of his face. He shouted and jerked back, losing his balance and falling back onto the floor. Lucy laughed, but her smile quickly faded when her throat became scratchy and irritated. She leaned forward as she released a hoarse cough, holding a fist to her mouth. Natsu watched from the floor, his eyes full of concern. He grew uneasy when she wouldn't stop. He stood up and approached her, patting her back with his hand.

"Thank…you," she wheezed after her coughs finally subsided. Natsu rubbed her back.

"That sounded pretty bad," he said softly. She nodded.

"It felt pretty bad, doo." Lucy sniffed and reached for her box of tissues, only to realize it was empty again. She sighed and leaned back against the backboard. Natsu chuckled.

"I'll get you another one." Lucy shook her head.

"No, it's okay. I'll probably pass out soon, anyway."

"You sure?"

"Yup." She sniffed and sank further into the covers. "My head hurts." Natsu lifted a hand to her forehead, and he hummed and removed his hand.

"You have a fever," he said simply. Lucy grinned mischievously and glanced up at him.

"Too bad Gray isn't here," she teased. Natsu scoffed.

"We don't need him." He stalked over to the bathroom and Lucy could hear him rustling around and the faucet running. He came back out with a damp washcloth. He gently placed it on her forehead. "See? I'm not completely useless when it comes to a fever." The celestial wizard giggled and coughed, sighing afterwards. Natsu frowned. He wished he could do more than just put a washcloth on her forehead. He sighed looked outside. It was still snowing, but it was getting dark. He reached down and took the glass of tea from her lap, setting it down on the nightstand beside her. "You should get some rest." Lucy nodded and sneezed, groaning in pain as she recoiled deeper into the mattress. Natsu walked around to the other side of the bed and sat down, reaching for the remote to the Lacrima vision. He turned it on and turned the sound down so it wouldn't bother the blonde beside him.

As he channel surfed, he heard rustling from Lucy's side of the bed. He looked over just in time to see her position herself next to him, laying her head on his lap. The breath caught in his throat and he felt a light blush fade onto his cheeks. He stared at the side of her peaceful face, strands of her hair falling in front of her eyes. After he remembered how to breathe, he swallowed the lump in his throat and hesitantly placed a hand on her shoulder. It shook as she tried to stifle another cough, and her face briefly went from peaceful to pain. He gently rubbed her arm. When she finally relaxed, she snuggled into his thigh. "Goodnight, Natsu," she whispered.

"Night, Luce." She grinned and lifted her right hand to rest her fingers on top of his. Natsu smiled and lifted his free hand to brush the stray strands of hair from her face, tucking them behind her ear. He subconsciously began to stroke her hair. When he realized what he was doing, he quickly retracted his hand, the blush darkening.

_Man,_ he had it bad.

* * *

Lucy had tried to fall asleep an hour and a half ago. But she just couldn't. And she didn't want to sit up and join Natsu in watching the show that was currently on the Lacrima vision, because she was just too comfortable with her head in his lap. She didn't know what possessed her to fall asleep on his thigh, but she couldn't stop herself. And apparently, he was probably enjoying it just as much as she was. He hadn't moved his hand from her shoulder, and he'd stroked her hair when she first lied down. She'd never seen him that concerned for her when she was sick. He'd never put such an effort into making her feel better. She was touched. She loved to see him behave that way. It was nice to know that there were other things important to him other than fighting.

It was nice to know that she was important to him.

After all, she'd been in love with him since Mount Hakobe.

* * *

**Author's Note: it's not very often that I put an A/N at both ends of a chapter, but I just wanted to say this. I don't remember seeing anything like a TV in the manga nor the anime, and a TV was necessary for this chapter. So I just called it a Lacrima vision.**


	8. What Almost Happened

Chapter Eight – What Almost Happened

* * *

Lucy was startled out of her sleep when a loud boom erupted through the air. She jumped and sat up out of Natsu's lap. She glanced at him and he seemed just as surprised as she was. He lifted a hand and ignited it, slipping out of the bed and toward the balcony. He relaxed when there was another boom. He looked over his shoulder at her, a small grin curling on his face. "It's just fireworks," he said, looking back out the window. Lucy hummed in understanding and got out of the bed as well and joined him at the glass door.

"It must be the finale," she said softly. Natsu nodded and opened the door, stepping out onto the balcony. Lucy grabbed a blanket from the bed and wrapped it around herself before following him onto the balcony, sliding the door closed behind her. Explosions of blue, red, yellow, and green shot through the air, and a crowd had gathered around the marketplace to watch. There were performers dancing accordingly to the fireworks with streamers among the crowd. It really was magnificent. Both young wizards were completely enthralled in the display, barely even taking the time to blink.

"Damn," Natsu breathed.

"This is amazing," Lucy whispered. She inhaled a sharp breath and quickly turned away to sneeze, causing Natsu to jump in surprise to turn to face her. She sniffed and looked back up at the sky.

"You really shouldn't be out here," he said kindly, gently placing a hand on her shoulder and pulling to lead her back inside. She shook her head.

"No, I'm fine."

"You sure?" She nodded her head and sniffed. Natsu was a little apprehensive, but he complied nonetheless and removed his hand.

"Okay," he said slowly, turning away to face the fireworks. Lucy laughed and touched his arm.

"Natsu, I really appreciate your concern, but there's no need to worry about me," she explained. Natsu looked at her. "It's not like I'm hurt or anything. It's just a cold." A hint of a grin curled on Natsu's face.

"I know." Lucy nodded and turned away, shivering at the lack of heat. She instinctively moved closer to Natsu. Noticing this, he draped an arm over her shoulders and pulled her to him. She looked up at him and smiled before leaning her head against his shoulder. He smiled back and looked up at the lightshow, resting his cheek on the top of her head. "Hey, Luce?"

"Hmm?"

"You know you're my best friend, right?" Lucy straightened and looked up at him.

"Of course I know that, Natsu," she said, wrapping an arm around his waist and pulling him into a hug. She turned her head away and let loose a series of sneezes. When she lifted her head back up, her vision blurred for only a moment. Yup, she was dehydrated. She groaned and leaned into Natsu for support.

"Okay, let's get you inside." He steadied her on her feet and led her inside. He sat down with her on the mattress after closing the door. He rubbed her arm to warm her up. "Do you need anything?" he asked softly. Lucy sniffed and shook her head, keeping her gaze on the fireworks outside. Natsu huffed lightly and followed her gaze, keeping his arms around her.

"It's so beautiful," she whispered as the finale started. Natsu switched his gaze to her. She was gorgeous. Even with her sickness, her red nose and her worn out face, the gleam was still present in her chocolate eyes, and her smile never left her face. She was always happy. She was amazing. He thought it was incredible that someone like her had chosen him to be her best friend. His life would've been so boring without her.

"Yeah," he hummed. "Beautiful." Lucy looked up at him, slightly surprised at the amorous tone in his voice. His eyes were dark and full of some emotion she'd never seen in those onyx orbs before. She felt something pull her forward, and she couldn't do anything but succumb to that something. Natsu also found himself being drawn closer to Lucy. Time seemed to slow as they leaned forward. Their lips were a mere two centimeters away when there was a knock at the door. Both wizards jumped at the unexpected – not to mention unwanted – noise.

"Room service!" announced a voice from the other side of the door. They moved away from each other. Natsu switched his gaze from Lucy, to the door, and then back again. Lucy nodded to the door, telling him to go ahead an answer it. Natsu felt his heart fall into his stomach, incredibly disappointed. He huffed and walked to the door.

* * *

Lucy listened to Natsu have a somewhat irritated conversation with the woman that interrupted their…um…moment. She didn't move from her spot on the mattress, thinking over what had just happened. Were they about to…kiss? She and Natsu were about to _kiss_? Weird… She heard Natsu rudely dismiss the woman and close the door, then his approaching footsteps. She looked over her shoulder at him. He had his hands stuffed in his pockets and his expression was distressed. He sat down on the opposite side of the bed, avoiding her eyes. He inhaled deeply and let it out slowly, trying to calm his racing heart that was pumping viciously against his chest. He could hear his blood rushing in his ears. He nervously tapped his fingers against his knee, searching his mental vocabulary for an efficient sentence to say.

Lucy was doing the same. She was scared to talk to him, to face him. What should she say to him? She almost _kissed_ him! How do you come back from something like that? _Should_ she say anything to him? An idea struck her. "Hey, Natsu?" she said, looking over her shoulder at him. Natsu visibly tensed and carefully turned to look at her.

"Y-Yeah?"

"Did you know that Juvia likes Gray?" Natsu instantly relaxed.

"Uh, yeah. Who doesn't know? I mean, besides Gray." Lucy giggled, which proved contagious. Soon the two of them were laughing at their comrade's stupidity. It blew their minds that after all this time, Gray _still_ wasn't aware of Juvia's feelings toward him. Which was odd, considering how open she is about them. On some level, Lucy believed that Gray actually _did_ know, but just didn't acknowledge it the way he should.

And after what she witnessed a few minutes prior, she believes that Natsu is the same.

* * *

**Author's Note: blah. That's all I have to say about this chapter. I'm sorry it took so long, but I had terrible writer's block on this chapter. So on that note, I'm even sorrier about the quality of this chapter… On a brighter side, you thought I was gonna make them kiss, huh? Nope. It's too early for that. Just thought I'd tease you guys a little bit. :)**


	9. The Next Morning

Chapter Nine – The Next Morning

**Author's Note: hey, guys. Sorry I've been gone for so long. I've been on vacation with my friends, and I didn't want to work on this while I was there. And then I was lazy, but then I got sick. I think I may have food poisoning. Yay. But at least I got a chapter done, right? You guys should be thankful I got out of bed for you guys. ;) I love you guys, and again, I'm sorry for the long wait. Hope this isn't disappointing.**

* * *

Natsu woke up early the next morning. When he went to sleep the night before, he tried his hardest to stay on his side of the bed. After what happened that night, he was scared to be that close to her again. He hadn't got much sleep over night anyway. He couldn't stop thinking about what almost happened between the two of them. By six in the morning, he was too restless to just sit in bed. He decided to take a cold shower to calm his nerves, and it did. He found himself the most relaxed he'd been since before he and Lucy came to Shizukesa. In fact he was so relaxed, he didn't even realize that he was in the shower for an hour and a half. It wasn't until Lucy knocked on the door to ask him how much longer he was going to be in there when he snapped out of his reverie. He stretched his shoulders one last time under the water flow before turning it off.

Natsu ran a towel over his head and ruffled his hair to free it from loose water. He looked in the mirror. His hair looked different, _off_, when it was wet. He didn't like it. He groaned distastefully and left the room, not even bothering to put on his vest. He was greeted with the sight of Lucy bending over, rummaging through her bag for a clean set of clothes. Natsu stopped in his tracks, completely caught off guard by the sight. Why did he get the feeling she was facing that way on purpose? He quickly shook that thought away and made his way toward his bag. "Hey, Luce," he said casually. Lucy looked up and smiled.

"Hey, Natsu." She laughed lightly to herself before asking, "have a nice shower?" Natsu looked over his shoulder at her.

"It was fine," he replied. "Why?"

"I dunno. You were in there for an hour." Natsu chuckled.

"Sorry. How do you feel today?" Lucy nodded her head and straightened up.

"Better," she said simply. The dragon slayer grinned and turned to look at her fully.

"That's good." Lucy found it hard not to stare. Sure, she'd always found his build impressive, but the way he was standing made his muscles stretch, making it incredibly difficult to look away. His tanned skin was still a little wet from his shower, making it shine. He wasn't wearing his scarf either. She could see the end on the scar on his neck, it's color contrasting minutely from the rest of his skin. He was so handsome…

"Uh, Luce?" he muttered, tilting his head and lifting an eyebrow. "Hel-lo?" He waved his hand to get her attention. Lucy blinked and moved her eyes to his. "You okay?"

"Yeah, sorry," she said quickly, trying to hold back the blush that threatened to sneak onto her face. "I just blanked out for a minute." She hoped he didn't notice her ogling at his chiseled abdomen.

"You sure?" he asked, leaning his weight on one foot, causing his abs to flex. He folded him arms, putting emphasis on his biceps. "Your face is red." It took every fiber in Lucy's body to keep her eyes focused on Natsu's instead of his arms.

"I'm fine, really," she said, trying to keep her voice from shaking. "I just need a shower." She turned away and made her way to the bathroom, chiding herself for checking him out. As soon as the door shut, Natsu smirked. He wasn't one to flex, especially not to Lucy, but he just couldn't resist. He saw her staring at his chest, and he thought he should tease her a little bit. He chuckled to himself and shrugged his vest on, wrapping his scarf around his neck soon after.

Lucy slapped a hand against her forehead. _Way to go,_ she thought to herself. She huffed and ran a hand through her hair, reaching down to turn the shower on. She undressed and slipped passed the shower curtain, sighing as the warm water ran down her back. Her main goal here was to clear her sinuses, so she slowly turned the knob to make her shower hotter. She hissed through her teeth as the scorching spray hit her skin, but quickly relaxed into it. Soon, the bathroom was clouded with steam. Lucy had always liked hot showers. They made her feel serene and calm, and now that she was sick, it made her feel rejuvenated. Just after three minutes, she was able to take in a deep breath for the first time since yesterday afternoon. It felt great.

Her shower ended faster than she preferred. Once she was dried off and clothed, she sat on the toilet seat in the steamy room with her eyes closed. She was thinking about nothing in particular. But as she continued to sit there, her thoughts, again, wandered to her favorite dragon slayer. But at the same time, her earlier embarrassment from staring resurfaced, and she buried her face in her hands, ashamed. How could she have let herself do something like that? Stupid Lucy, staring at Natsu's torso like that. Stupid, stupid, stupid. Surely he noticed. It wasn't like she was being sneaky about it, like through the corner of her eye or something. No, she was _full on_ staring at him. He was certainly going to tease her about it, never let her live it down. He's probably just outside the door, waiting to pester her. She sighed. Might as well just get it over with.

Lucy stood up and off the toilet and turned to the door. She took in a deep breath and turned the knob, stepping outside, prepared for Natsu's relentless teasing. But he wasn't on the other side. In fact, he wasn't even in their room. _He's hiding,_ she thought to herself. _I know he is. He's just waiting to pounce._ She looked around for a minute or two, but she didn't see any sign of him. But she did find a note on the nightstand. She picked it up and read it aloud. "'Went out for breakfast. Be back soon.'" She smiled. Couldn't he have just knocked on the door and tell her? Was it really necessary to leave a note? She laughed and shook her head.

That man…


	10. Close Contact

Chapter Ten – Close Contact

* * *

"Was it really necessary to leave a note?"

Natsu looked up at Lucy, whom was on the bed reading when he got back from the café down the street. He smiled and closed the door behind him with his foot, his hands occupied with their breakfast. "What did you want me to do?" he asked. "Walk in the bathroom while you were taking a shower? Well, _excuse me_ if I didn't want a good kick in the head." Lucy held up a hand.

"Put a cap on the attitude, Natsu," she teased. "It was just a simple question. There was no need to get your panties in a twist." The dragon slayer scoffed as he set their food down on the table.

"'There was no need to get your panties in a twist,'" he mocked, walking over to her. Lucy giggled.

"You're terrible at impressions."

"Shut up." He reached down and poked her in the stomach. She jumped and squeaked, raising her hand to the spot he touched. Natsu froze, an evil grin on his face. He poked her again. He squeaked again and giggled, moving away from him. He chuckled and reached out for another poke, but she quickly rolled to the side and scrambled off the bed. She made a move to run passed him, but he was already in front of her. The two of them danced around the bed, Natsu blocking each of her attempts to escape him. He jumped onto the mattress to head straight toward her, but she was already making her leave. Before she could get away, he reached out and grabbed her arm, pulling her onto the mattress. She screamed in protest as he hooked his arm around her waist and dragged her further up on the bed. He set her down and pinned her to the sheets.

"Natsu, stop!" she yelled, laughing as she tried to move his hands away from her waist. Natsu laughed at her futile actions and continued to tickle her. Lucy was laughing uncontrollably and thrashed beneath him, trying desperately to get free. She squealed his name and begged for him to stop. She bucked her hips in attempt to lift him off her, but it hardly did anything. He only stopped when she began to cough. He halted his movements to let her breathe. She continued to giggle, despite the scratchy feeling in her throat. Natsu lifted himself off of her and watched as she struggled to sit up, wiping the tears of mirth from her eyes. Panting, she glanced at him through the corner of her eye. She swung her hand at him, smacking him across the chest. "You're a jerk," she insulted, breathless. Natsu smiled and made his way to their breakfast on the table.

"Yeah, yeah," he said. "Our food is getting cold."

"That's why…you're here." Natsu grinned at her over his shoulder as he emptied the contents of the two plastic bags onto the table. After a moment, he didn't sense her approaching. In fact, he didn't hear her move at all. He turned to face her. Her arms were cradling her stomach, and she was staring at her lap.

"Luce?" She looked up at him expectantly, waiting for him to say something.

"Yeah?"

Natsu gestured to the food on the table. "You eating or what?" Lucy smiled and pushed herself off the bed.

"Of course." She sat down in the chair beside him, and after a few seconds, he sat as well. Their meal was silent, neither one of them having anything to say. But both wizards felt awkward not saying anything. Natsu had begun to tap his foot, and Lucy was twirling a small strand of her hair around her finger. The awkward tension became too much for either of them to bear. "Natsu?" said Lucy, turning to face him.

"Hey, Luce?" he said at the same time. They stared at each other for a moment.

"You go first," they said in unison. There was another moment of awkward eye contact before they both laughed weakly.

"It's weird when that happens," said Lucy, a small smile on her lips.

"Yeah, a little," Natsu agreed. There was an uncomfortable pause between the two guild mates.

"So, um, what were you gonna say?" Lucy asked, looking up at him through her eyelashes. Natsu stared dumbly at her. He didn't know what he was about to say. He was just going to say whatever came to mind. He didn't expect her to try to start a conversation at the exact time he did.

"I, uh… I was just gonna ask you…h-how your food is?" he said slowly. Lucy looked at him and nodded.

"It's good. How's yours?" Natsu nodded, too.

"Good." They stared at each other again, and something caught Natsu's eye. "There's a, um… an eyelash on your cheek." Lucy lifted a hand to wipe it away, but she missed. "Lemme get it." He reached up and gently swiped it off her skin, flicking it off his finger. Lucy blushed at his touch and turned back to her food, taking a bite. The dragon slayer blushed a little as well and cleared his throat, shifting uncomfortably in his seat. "What were…you gonna say?" Lucy briefly glanced at him, but refocused her attention on the food in front of her.

"I don't remember," she said quickly. Natsu nodded and tapped his fingers together. This was by far the most awkward he'd felt in his life. And since no one had brought up last night, or when she was practically drooling at his abs, it felt that much worse. Not that he wanted to bring up either event. He just thought it was odd how they didn't…discuss it… and that added to the awkwardness. He breathed in deeply to calm his nerves. Beside him, Lucy gulped. She felt just as weird as he did, if not more. She'd never been so scared to be along with Natsu before. He always made her feel safe, but after what happened last night, she was terrified of being in the same room as him. And him sitting that close to her was making her heart go ballistic. She looked at him as stood up with his plate. He reached over to grabbed the end of hers as well.

"You done?" he asked softly. She made the mistake of looking into his eyes. She nodded and swiftly turned away, blushing darkly. Natsu picked up her plastic plate and walked to the trash can, dropping them inside. He spared a glimpse at her over his shoulder before walking to the bed and plopping down. He turned on the Lacrima vision and began to search for a channel that interested him, and Lucy stood up to join him.

Natsu hissed as a sudden itch bit at his skin. He reached up with his free hand to scratch it, and when he sat it back down, it just so happened to land on top of Lucy's. The fire wizard froze instantly and gulped. He slowly looked down at their hands, a light blush crawling onto his cheeks. He chanced a look at Lucy. She was looking down at their hands as well, but her blush was much deeper. Seeming to notice him looking at her, she connected his gaze with hers. Natsu chuckled weakly and moved to slide his hand away. He felt his face darken as Lucy stopping him from moving by lacing their fingers together. He, again, forgot how to breathe when she scooted closer to him, resting her head on his shoulder. His heart was thumping so hard against his chest, he wouldn't be surprised if Lucy could hear it. Hell, he was sure she could _feel_ it.

She didn't know what told her to do it, but she complied with no argument. They were holding hands… and she was almost _cuddling_ with him. She began to stroke his hand with her thumb, sending goose bumps up his arm. Relaxing a little, Natsu slumped against the backboard and leaned his head on top of hers. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't look anywhere but their intertwined hands. He felt silly. He's held Lucy's hand before. It wasn't new to him. And yet, it felt so…different. It felt…right. He didn't know his heart would beat so fast just by _holding hands._ He could hear the blood rushing in his ears. He started a little when he heard his name. "Natsu?"

"Uh, yeah?" Lucy giggled.

"Are you done watching the kids' channel?" Natsu snapped his head up to look at the Lacrima. Sure enough, it was a cartoon for children. He laughed.

"Aw, but I like this show," he said sarcastically. He felt Lucy shake her head.

"I'm so telling Gray you said that." Natsu sat up to glare at her.

"Like hell you are." He angrily changed the channel. Lucy squeezed his hand.

"You're such a child." Natsu grinned and leaned in closer to her.

"Yeah, and you're such a weirdo."

* * *

**Author's Note: I'm so sorry for how short the last chapter was! I feel like a failure! Anyway, to all of you who thanked me for that image of Natsu, you are so very welcome! My inner fangirl was screaming, too. I hope this cute chapter made up for the last one's disappointment. We're getting close to the end, so be prepared! I love you guys. :3**


	11. The Incident

Chapter Eleven – The Incident

**Author's Note: first of all, MrYien, thank you for bombarding me with reviews! Two hours before you reviewed, the reviews for Shizukesa was at 75. I come back and there's 88, most of them left by you! Thank you for brightening my whole day! x3 And of course that last chapter wasn't the end, silly! I may be mean with my stories, but I would never end it there! That would just be plain cruel. I have a heart, you know. :)**

**Hope you guys like this chapter, because I certainly do! :3**

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"We _have _to go somewhere," Lucy said from in the bathroom as she brushed her hair.

"Why?" Natsu asked. He was currently lying on the bed, his head hanging backwards off the foot of the mattress. He watched as Lucy walked back into the room on the ceiling.

"Because I'm gonna go crazy if all I do is sit in this room for the rest of our stay." She had a point. Natsu nodded his head, or that's what it looked like to Lucy. It was kind of hard to tell with his current position. She and lifted an eyebrow at him. "What're you doing?"

"Thinking." The blonde snorted.

"That's dangerous." Natsu pulled a face as he sat up.

"Ha, ha. So where were you thinking about going?" Lucy sighed.

"To tell you the truth, I really don't care. I'm just sick of sitting in bed all day." Natsu had no time to ask anymore questions, for she already had her jacket on and was out the door. He sighed and hurried after her. "Want lunch?" she asked as soon as he caught up with her.

"Duh." Lucy laughed.

"Just thought I'd ask."

* * *

Natsu took her to the small café where he got their breakfast that morning. "I'll go get our food," Natsu said. Lucy nodded.

"Okay." She sat down as he walked up to the counter across the room. She sighed and folded her arms. It was a nice little café, very casual. Little round tables were scattered across the floor, their dark wood contrasting nicely with the bright tiles. It was actually a very peaceful place.

"Hey," said an unfamiliar voice. Lucy looked up to the source to see a man around her age, with dark hair and blue eyes. She had a smile on his face. She knew he was going for kind and disarming, but she could feel dark intensions within it. She sensed something odd about him that unnerved her.

"Hey," she said politely, trying to keep her suspicions hidden.

"I see you have a guild mark on your hand. You're a wizard?"

"Yes, I am."

"That's cool. What kind of magic do you use?" Lucy was becoming increasingly uneasy. She didn't feel comfortable telling a random stranger what kind of magic she uses. What if he's a dark wizard, ad he's asking so he can have an advantage against her? That was probably unlikely, since she didn't sense any magical ability on him, but still. She was really hoping Natsu was on his way back. This guy was giving her the creeps. Her guard went up immediately when he sat down next to her. "Okay, you don't wanna tell me. That's fine. You look like you can put up a fight, though. I like that." He said his last sentence while placing a hand on her knee. _Ew…_ Lucy thought to herself, repulsed. She squirmed, trying to move away, but his grip was firm and it didn't look like he intended to let go anytime soon.

"Please let—"

"You are very pretty," he interrupted. Lucy was extremely nervous now. Where was Natsu? She didn't have her keys with her. She left them at the hotel, figuring she wouldn't need them. She was defenseless. Disgusted goose bumps ran up her arms when his hand slid higher up on her thigh. "Whaddya say you come to my place?"

"I don't think so," she refused hotly, smacking his hand away. The man's face switched from "kindness" to anger as he grabbed her wrist and squeezed, making her hiss and wince in pain.

"That wasn't very nice."

"Oi!" Lucy's hopes brightened when she heard the beautifully familiar voice. _Thank Mavis!_ A hand slammed down on the man's shoulder and gripped his shirt, roughly lifting him out of his seat and shoving him away. Natsu looked down at Lucy. "You alright?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," she replied, massaging her wrist. She stood up and huddled behind her friend as the man approached them.

"What the hell, man?" he exclaimed, his eyes darkened dangerously. "I was just talking to the lady!"

"Bullshit!" Natsu retorted, livid. "I saw you grab her wrist! I don't like liars."

"That sounded like a threat. You wanna go?"

"Don't tempt me." Lucy touched his hand.

"Natsu, let's go," she suggested softly. "He isn't worth it." Natsu nodded.

"Yeah, you're right. Let's go, Luce." The two of them turned away to leave.

"Fine, have fun with the dumb slut," called the man. "I didn't want the whore anyway." Natsu stopped.

"What did you c—" As he turned around to look at the bastard, he was hit with a bottle of Sake on the side of his head. He grunted as the thick glass shattered against his head and stumbled back into a wooden table, causing it to collapse under his weight.

"Natsu!" Lucy cried, shocked at how the sudden attack knocked him down with a single blow. The dragon slayer groaned as he struggled to sit up. He lifted a hand and carefully touched his face. He winced, pulling his hand away to look at it. His blood was running down his fingers. Lucy covered her mouth with a gasp. The left side of his face was oozing blood, and he could feel it start to swell. _Now_ he was mad. This guy hurt his Lucy, called her dirty names, _and_ swung a Sake bottle into his skull. He growled and shot to his feet, landing a perfect punch into the man's jaw. He was sent flying across the room, slamming hard into the wall. He made his way toward him to beat him to a pulp, but Lucy's soft hands clasped his arm. "Natsu, stop. Let's just get out of here." Natsu lifted his hand to wipe the blood from his eye, and groaned irritably at how badly his skin was stained when he pulled away. She tugged at his arm. "Natsu, please." He looked down at her and felt his anger diminish. Her chocolate brown eyes were staring up into his, pleading him to stop and walk away. She seemed scared, and he couldn't tell if it was because she knew what he was capable of when he was mad, or if it was because he was bleeding profusely. Either way, he didn't like seeing her like that. She pulled on him again. "Please."

Natsu slowly unclenched his fists and let her pull him out of the café. They hurried through the street and back to the hotel. As soon as they got to their room, Lucy sat him down on the bed and bolted into the bathroom to grab a hand towel to stop the bleeding. Natsu held a hand to his head where the glass had sliced his skin. It hadn't really hurt in the café, but now that the adrenaline was gone, it was burning. He fisted his pants with his free hand as Lucy came back into the room, sitting down beside him. "Move your hand away," she ordered gently. Natsu did as he was told, carefully removing his hand. Lucy sucked in a breath at the sight. He already had a bump on his head, and the gash itself wasn't easy to look at. She lifted the towel to his wound and began to dab the blood away, trying to be as tender as she could. Despite her efforts, it still hurt like hell. Natsu hissed and shut his eyes tight, dismissing his friend's soft apology. After a few moments, she tilted his head to get a better look at his injury. "Wow," she breathed. "He really got you good." The cut started from just passed the corner of his eye and jaggedly went across his temple, ending just before his ear.

"How bad is it?" he asked quietly.

"In terms of healing, it should be fine within a few days," she answered, adjusting his head for a good angle. "But in terms of appearance, it's…pretty bad. But the good news is I got the bleeding to go down. I'll clean it and put a patch on it." She set the bloodied towel on the table and walked over to her bag, pulling out a first aid kit. Sitting back down beside him, she poured some disinfectant onto a square of gauze and dabbed it against his wound. Natsu groaned. It stung really bad, and it seemed like forever before she announced that she was done. It only took a moment for her to patch it up, and when she was finished, she patted his arm and left to put the kit away.

"You brought a first aid kit?" he asked. Lucy looked at him.

"Well, yeah," she answered, her tone implying it was a silly question. "I mean, with you, you never know." Natsu nodded. She had a point. Lucy crawled onto the bed behind him and hugged him across the shoulders. "It was sweet, what you did. Thank you." He grinned and leaned into her.

"It was nothing," he said modestly. He turned his head to look at her. "You know I'll always have your back." Lucy smiled. Without thinking, she leaned forward and placed a soft kiss on his cheek.

"We should probably wash the blood off of you." She quickly dismissed herself and walked back into the bathroom, taking the already bloodied towel with her. Lucy placed a hand over her mouth. Did she really just do that? Did she _really_ just kiss Natsu? Sure it wasn't a _real_ kiss, but it was still a kiss! She couldn't believe herself. Why did she do that? In the other room, Natsu was so shocked from what she did, he didn't even move from the position he was in when it happened. Did…did she…_kiss_ him? Finally moving, he lifted a hand to his cheek, touching his fingertips to his skin. It was still warm…

She kissed him… Lucy _kissed_ him… On the cheek, maybe, but it still counts. He quickly dropped his hand when Lucy came back into the room with a damp wash cloth in her hand. She sat down on the mattress next to him and made the mistake, again, of looking into his eyes. She couldn't avert her gaze even if she wanted to. His intense, black eyes were holding her gaze to his, making it nearly impossible for her to look away. Finally managing to break their gaze, she cleared her throat and blushed, touching the wet cloth to his face to wipe the blood stain away. The stain trailed from his wound, down the side of his face, and down his neck, stopping at the material of his vest. He also had blood on his hands, but she decided he could wash those himself. Natsu flinched when the towel made contact with his skin. It was cold, felt like ice against him. "Sorry," she said quietly, her voice barely audible. But thanks to Natsu's highly sensitive ears, he heard it loud and clear.

"For what?"

"Ki…" She trailed off for a moment and swallowed. "Kissing you." Natsu slightly widened his eyes. She was apologizing?

"There's nothing to be sorry for," he said quickly. She removed his scarf to wash his neck, slightly disappointed to see that his blood seeped through the fabric.

"There's blood on your scarf." Natsu glanced down at it.

"It's fine. Happens all the time." Lucy looked up at him, a small smile on her lips. After a minute, she pulled away.

"Alright, I'm done." With that said, she stood up and walked away. Natsu pouted.

"What about my hands?" he said, looking up at her like a sick puppy. Lucy giggled and patted his shoulder.

"You're a big boy, Natsu," she said. "You can wash your hands yourself." He released and exaggerated sigh and lifted himself off the bed, making his way to the bathroom. After a few minutes, he came back out and saw Lucy reading her book. "Was that so hard?" she asked without looking away from the text in her novel. Natsu muttered a response and fell onto the bed. He hissed and groaned, rolling over to place a hand to his head. He forgot that bump was there. Lucy snickered and lifted her book above her mouth to hide her amusement. Natsu looked at her through narrowed eyes.

"What're you laughing at?" he asked sharply.

Lucy shook her head. "Nothing."


	12. The Storm

Chapter Twelve – The Storm

**Author's Note: again, sorry for the slow update. Remember when I said I had food poisoning? It's not food poisoning. I have a fever and I've been throwing up and having stomach aches since last week, so…yeah. I am starting to feel better, though, so that's good. Anyway, here's chapter twelve! Yes, I know, it's pretty short. I apologize. But I hope you guys still like it!**

**Oh, and I have a favor to ask. I've been working on a story called **_**Love and Lucky, **_**and it's a collection of NaLu oneshots. Please do me a solid and go check them out and leave some reviews. It needs your love, too! :)**

* * *

"It's throbbing," Natsu whined. He'd been picking at the bandage on his head for the past fifteen minutes, causing irritation to the bump. Lucy rolled her eyes as she read her book. She didn't even look away from it when she spoke.

"Well, if you would leave it alone _like I told you_, then maybe it wouldn't hurt," she snapped, annoyed that he hadn't taken her advice seriously. She looked up at him to see him poking at it again. She sighed and reached over, flicking his wound with her finger.

"Ow!" he shouted, holding a hand to his bump. "Why would you do that, Luce?" He immediately shut up when he saw the brown-eyed glare directed his way.

"Stop. Touching. It," she said lowly, pausing after each word for emphasis. Natsu nodded quickly.

"A-Aye, sir," he said shakily, quoting his Exceed. Lucy smiled and patted his arm.

"Good boy." She switched her attention back to her book. Thinking she couldn't see him, he took the opportunity to stick his tongue at her. She didn't even look at him. "Put your tongue back in your mouth, Natsu. You'll catch flies." The rosy-haired boy did as he was told. _Whoa, how'd she do that?_ He sighed and looked out the window. The previously bright sky painted with streaks of orange and pink was now dark and cloudy.

"Hmm," he hummed, slightly surprised at the sudden change in weather.

"What?" Lucy asked while she continued reading.

"It looks like it's gonna rain." The blonde froze.

"What?"

"Yeah, the sky's all dark. It's definitely gonna rain." He turned to Lucy, stunned to see the panicked look in her eyes. "What's wrong?" Lucy forced a smile onto her face, and he instantly knew it was fake. He'd known her too long to be fooled by her fake smiles.

"Nothing's wrong," she said, trying a little too hard to convince him. "I'm fine." She felt herself stiffen when Natsu put on his "I-know-you're-lying" face.

"Don't lie to me, Luce. What's wrong?" She was about to tell him again that nothing was wrong, when a loud boom erupted outside. She yelped and jumped, dropping her book to the floor. Natsu was taken aback by her response to the thunder. "Luce, are you scared?" he asked. There wasn't one hint of a tease in his voice. He was being concerned. There was another loud clap, and he could see her trembling. _She's scared of thunder?_ he asked himself. _How come I didn't know that?_ When he thought about it, it hardly ever rains in Magnolia, and every time that is has, he didn't remember being with Lucy during any of those times. It was completely reasonable that he didn't know. Lucy took in a deep breath to try and calm her nerves, although it didn't do much.

"Y-yes," she whispered, answering his previous question, even though he already knew. What should he do? Lucy's eyes darted away from his and stared out the window. He followed her gaze to see it was, just as he said it would, raining. Water droplets pelted against the glass, creating an ominous ambience for the nearly silent room. _Well, that was fast._ He looked back at Lucy and saw that her eyes hadn't moved away from the window, and that she was slowly curling in on herself. Natsu couldn't do anything else but stare at her. He'd never seen her like this before. Sure, he'd seen her scared, but…this was something else. He'd never seen that look in her eyes, and he's definitely never seen her freeze like that. Is this what happens during every thunderstorm? _Damn._

After a long, silent pause, there was another crack of thunder that lasted a good few seconds, and it was soon followed by another. The second boom was strong enough to cut off the power as it lightly shook the building, plunging the room into darkness. Lucy squeaked and whimpered, hugging her knees to her chest. Blinking his eyes as they adjusted to the sudden change in light, he reached out to her and placed a hand on her shoulder. He was shocked at how badly she was shaking. Outside, there was a flash of lightning, and it briefly illuminated the room. It was brief, but it was enough for him to see the look on her face. She was looking up at him with wide, fearful eyes, and those angelic, chocolate orbs were glassy, like she was on the verge of tears. He didn't like seeing her like that. And he couldn't stop himself from scooting closer to her. He draped a protective arm over her shoulders and pulled her toward him. Instinctively, she clasped at his one-sleeved shirt and huddled close to him.

Suddenly the situation didn't seem all that bad, to Natsu anyway. After all, the girl he's in love with is clinging to him for comfort, holding onto him for consolation. He quickly admonished himself for thinking such foolish things. She needed him. He wasn't going to take advantage of the moment. Another roar of thunder rippled through the air, causing Lucy to jump, whimper, and tighten her grip around Natsu. The rose-haired boy rubbed her arm. She sniffled, signaling that she had started to cry. "Shh…" he hushed softly. "You're alright." There were many worst-case scenarios going on in her head. But having somebody there made her feel a lot better. When it would rain in Magnolia, she usually called Plue to keep her company. He wasn't very good at comforting her, but at least he was something to hold onto while she had mini heart attacks. She loved having her little Nikola with her, but it was nice to have a real person there. Especially since that person was Natsu.

Having Natsu in situations like that always made her feel better, even in the slightest. Him being there made her feel safe. She knew that while he was there, nothing bad would happen. And having that in mind, she slowly began to relax, which he noticed. He felt her fist around his shirt begin to slacken and her muscles were loosening. That is, until there was another flash of lightning accompanied by a loud boom from outside. She jumped and buried her face into his chest, tightly closing her eyes. "I gotcha," Natsu assured her, bringing her closer to him. "It's okay." Feeling another wave of tears burning at the back of her eyes, she squeezed her eyes tighter and nuzzled Natsu's chest as if trying to hide. Despite the intense fear and the appreciation for Natsu she was feeling, she was embarrassed. There wasn't really a story behind it, she just hated and was terrified by thunder. She hated how it made her feel so weak, so vulnerable. That's why she never told him about this little phobia of hers. It wasn't that she felt he would tease her about it or anything, not at all. She knew Natsu way too well to think so low of him. Sure he teased her and made fun of her, but he would _never_ make a joke out of her insecurities, especially one like this.

"Natsu…" she whispered, her voice barely audible over the rain hitting the building. The dragon slayer hummed as a response. "Thank you…" Natsu grinned, a light chuckle slipping passed his lips.

"Silly girl," he mused, softly patting her shoulder. "There's no reason to thank me." For the first time since the storm began, a small hint of a smile twitched onto Lucy's mouth. _Silly boy,_ she thought to herself. _There's a million reasons to thank you._ It was that instant when she realized that her head was right over his heart. His repetitive two-beat song was wonderful, and she found herself gradually relaxing as she continued to listen to it. Her fist clenching his shirt finally unfurled completely, which brought ease to him. It was nice to see her finally relaxing. He wasn't expecting for her to shakily reach over to clasp his hand. She pulled his hand to her lips and placed a soft kiss on the back of his hand. _Twice in one day,_ he thought, feeling an uncomfortable heat creep onto his face. Lucy grinned against his hand.

His heart skipped a beat.


	13. The Kiss

Final Chapter – The Kiss

**Author's Note: that's right, my beautiful readers! It's finally happening! Sadly, though, this is the last chapter. I'm sorry I didn't have a few more chapters. I just had a plan for this chapter, and I was too excited, so I had to get it up. It was fun, though. And don't worry. This is not gonna be the last time you see me. I have my fanfiction filled with NaLu drabbles, and I have two upcoming stories, both are also NaLu. One is called **_**Never Cheat Death**_** and the other is called **_**Destiny of the Stars.**_** Please go to my profile for the details and tell me which one you would rather I work on first, okay? I love you guys. Thank you so much for reading. Your reviews were amazing and helped me get this far in the story. Without your reviews, **_**Shizukesa**_** probably would've been only 6-9 chapters, like it was intended to be. And if you haven't already, please put me on author alert! You don't wanna miss my upcoming works! Hope you enjoy the final installation of **_**Shizukesa Town!**_** It's extra long just for you!**

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Ever since that storm, Lucy had a strong feeling that Natsu had the same feelings for her as she did for him. And after that night, the rest of their stay in Shizukesa just flew by. And thankfully, nothing bad happened after the little incident at the café. It was a peaceful couple of days. But their trip ended far sooner than either Lucy or Natsu would've liked. Before they knew it, they were already on a long train ride home.

The ride back to Magnolia seemed like an eternity for Natsu. The poor boy felt like he was dying inside the whole time. He didn't know what he would've done if Lucy hadn't been there with him. Thanks to her, the ride wasn't nearly half as bad as it could've been. His head sat in her lap the entire time. It was mostly her smell and the feeling of her hand stroking his hair that calmed his stomach down.

It wasn't until late at night when Natsu and Lucy arrived back in Magnolia. "Yes!" Natsu exclaimed, stepping off the train. "We've finally stopped!" Lucy giggled, following close behind him.

"Yeah, yeah," she said, smiling. "It was fun, Natsu, going to Shizukesa with you." Natsu turned to her, grinning widely.

"Yeah. You know, besides you getting sick and me getting hit the head with a Sake bottle." Lucy laughed and lifted a hand to inspect the left side of his face.

"It looks so much better than it did three days ago," she said, giving him a radiant smile that made the air leave his lungs. She yawned. "I should go home. It's late." She turned away to leave, and Natsu couldn't stop himself from reaching out. _No…_

"Wait," he pleaded, grazing her arm with his hand. Lucy felt her heart flutter with hope at the sudden action. She turned to face him, looking at him expectantly as she adjusted the strap of her bag on her shoulder. He stepped up beside her. "I'll walk you." The celestial wizard was a little disappointed, but accepted the offer nonetheless.

"Alright." The fire wizard smiled brightly and stuffed his hands into his pockets, elated that he still had some time to spend with her. The night wasn't over yet. The walk from the train station to Lucy's apartment was fairly decent. Neither of them said anything. They both felt comfortable just being by each other's side. It was nice to be in a city they recognized. As usual during the night, the streets of Magnolia were nearly silent, and nobody was out besides the two fairies. They shared an occasional glance, but unlike in Shizukesa, they held their glances. In the very dim light, Natsu's already dark eyes were lightly shadowed, equipping him with a very intense, highly addictive stare. Lucy smiled timidly and switched her gaze to her feet as they walked. A warm smile curled onto Natsu's face. She was so cute.

She walked passed him to hop onto the edge of the sidewalk beside the river. She'd missed being able to do that. Natsu watched her as she walked with her arms out to her sides, a content grin on her face. He loved that smile. He would do whatever he could, everything that was in his power to see that smile every day. The celestial wizard turned her head to look down at him. She giggled cutely at him, earning a grin from the dragon slayer. He turned away before he did something stupid like blush again. Lucy slowed her pace to allow some space between them. She carefully stepped down from the edge of the sidewalk to stand on the same level as him. Trying to be quiet so he won't hear her, she ran up behind him, placed her hands on his shoulders, and jumped onto his back, wrapping her legs around his waist.

"Ah," he breathed, surprised at the sudden weight on his back. He looked over his shoulder and saw Lucy's smiling face. She giggled again and he couldn't help but play along. He cupped his hands under her thighs to keep her in place and spun around in circles, causing Lucy to squeal and cling to him, wrapping her arms around his neck to prevent herself from falling. He kept spinning for several seconds, laughing while he did. She buried her face into his scarf.

"Natsu! Stop!" she yelled between giggles. "You're making me dizzy!" He did as he was told and abruptly halted his movements, the inertia causing the girl on his back to swing to the side. Unable to stop laughing, she straightened herself up and brushed her hair out of her eyes. Her laugh was contagious, and Natsu couldn't keep himself from laughing along with her even if he wanted to. Their laughing echoed in the empty streets. Natsu jumped onto the curb beside the river and began walking in uneven paces, doing everything he could to prevent her laugh from stopping. Without any warning, he leapt back into the street, his powerful legs vaulting them high into the air. Lucy yelped in surprise and felt her stomach drop as they landed. They were both silenced immediately when Lucy hiccupped. Natsu stopped and looked at her, slightly caught off guard by the dainty noise. She had a hand over her mouth, staring into his eyes with the same expression. She bounced as she hiccupped again, causing Natsu to snort. Her hiccups were adorable. Lucy glared at him. "What're you laughing a-_hic!_" Natsu turned away and tried to conceal his amusement.

"I'm not laughing," he lied. You could tell just by hearing his voice that he was smiling.

"Yes, y-_hic!_-you are!" Natsu was trying so hard not to snicker, but found himself unable to do so.

"No, I'm not."

"Stop lying to-_hic!_-me, Natsu! I can feel your shoulders sh _-hic!-_aking!" The fire wizard couldn't hold it in anymore. He threw his head back, causing Lucy to back away, as he laughed. Lucy hiccupped as she smacked the back of his head. He leaned his had forward.

"Ow…" he said. It actually _did_ hurt, but he continued to laugh nonetheless.

"Stop la-_hic!_-laughing at me!"

"I…I…I'm sorry," he apologized between chuckles. "B-But your…ha…hiccups are so…cute! You…you sound like a m-mouse!" He mimicked the noise she makes, causing Lucy's face to flush to a dark red. Lucy huffed and folded her arms, hiccupping while she did. Natsu looked at her, and when he saw the look on her face, he fell into another fit of laughter. "Come on, Luce," he said, bouncing her on his back as he walked. She felt like she was about to lose her balance and fall off, so she quickly leaned forward to grab onto his muffler. "Lighten up. I was just teasing." She didn't respond to him.

"_Hic!"_

Natsu swallowed his laugh. "Hold your breath."

Lucy looked at him with an eyebrow raised. "What? _Hic!"_

"Hold your breath. It'll get rid of your hiccups." Lucy thought this over for a moment, before taking in a deep breath and holding it. She held it for as long as she could and let it out as a puff. It was as if she aimed it, because it went passed his scarf and hit him perfectly on the neck. He shivered as goose bumps erupted down his arms. "Did it work?" he asked, trying to ignore the hairs that were standing on end on the back of his neck. Lucy waited a moment.

"I think so."

"That's good." Natsu turned onto the bridge just down the street from her apartment. Lucy looked over her shoulder at it as he walked away from it.

"Natsu?" she said.

"Huh?"

"Where're you going? My house is over there."

Natsu grinned at her over his shoulder. "Who said we were going to your house?"

"But…"

"Relax, Luce. We're just going to the park. I'm not ready to say goodbye yet."

Lucy's cheeks felt warm against the cold winter air. She smiled and rested her chin on his shoulder. "Me neither." They arrived at the park in no time, and just like the rest of the city, no one was there. It was odd seeing it so vacant. "It's so quiet," said the blonde, looking over the park with curious eyes. Natsu smirked and hoisted her higher on his back.

"You scared, Luce?" he teased. Lucy scoffed and glared at the back of his head.

"As if."

"It's okay if you are."

"I'm not!"

"You don't have to act tough."

Lucy smacked the back of his head. "I'm not scared, Natsu! Why do you have to tease me all the time? It really starts to hurt my feelings after a while." Natsu stopped and sighed. He bent his knees a little and dropped her thighs, setting her down gently on the grass. He turned to look at her, and was stunned to see her eyes glassy with the beginning of tears. He felt his heart sink into his stomach. He'd made her cry. She folded her arms and looked away from him, visibly trying to hold back a sob. He placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Hey," he said softly. "Don't cry, Luce. I'm sorry. It was just in good fun. You know that." Her lower lip was beginning to tremble. "Luce…" The celestial wizard looked at him through the corner of her eye, and she couldn't hold back to laugh. Natsu took a step back, confused. She wiped the tears from her eyes and playfully smacked his chest.

"Gotcha!" she sang. Natsu chuckled and patted her shoulder.

"You got me. Veeeery sneaky." Lucy smiled and walked passed him, towards the playground. She sat on the ledge beneath the monkey bars. Her eyes followed Natsu as he approached the end of the monkey bars. As he got ready to jump up and catch them, a thought hit her.

"Hey, Natsu?" she said.

"Wassup?" he answered, hopping up to grasp the metal bar.

"Do you remember when we went to that bookstore in Shizukesa?" As she talked, Natsu swung himself up to the top of the monkey bars with little effort. It still amazed her how he could do such things and make it look so easy. He easily stepped on each bar, walking toward her.

"Yeah, what about it?" he asked, trying to sound casual. He was hoping to never talk about _that_ again.

"You never told me why you left so quickly."

Natsu froze. "Y-yes, I did. I told you it was—"

"I know what you told me," she interrupted, looking up at him with curious eyes. Her tone wasn't at all angry or frustrated, she was just interested in the real reason he had fled that building so quickly, but Natsu felt as if he were a toddler being called out by his mother. "But what you told me wasn't the truth, and don't try to tell me otherwise." The young man sighed, defeated, and lowered himself to lay on his stomach on top of the monkey bars.

"Uh…" How should he put this without sounding weird? How could he tell her the truth…without telling her the truth? He thought for a moment, trying to put together the right words. He must've taken longer than he thought, because she called his name.

"Natsu?"

"I, uh… I was…embarrassed." He looked down at her to see her reaction. She was taken aback by what he had said. Of all the things she expected him to say, telling her that he was _embarrassed_ hadn't even occurred as a possibility to her. She snorted and couldn't stop herself from poking fun at him.

"You? Embarrassed?" she repeated. "Natsu Dragneel, the all mighty dragon slayer, _embarrassed?_" She paused for a moment. "What could you possibly have been embarrassed about?" Natsu blushed, and thanked Mavis that it was dark and Lucy couldn't see it.

"You," he said, almost under his breath. Lucy's smile slowly faded. What the hell did that mean? He was embarrassed about her? What about her was embarrassing to him? He must've sensed his mistake and realized he just stumbled into dangerous territory, so he started to explain himself before Lucy could start yelling at him. "Well, not _you_ exactly, but… Um…how do I say this?" He rested his forehead against the cool metal, looking down at the ground through narrowed eyes. Lucy could sense his distress, and felt as though she shouldn't push him. He obviously felt uncomfortable talking about whatever had happened that day, and she knew he hadn't meant what he said in a rude way. She'll let it slide just this once.

"You don't have to tell me if you don't want to," she said after a moment. Natsu looked up at her, surprised to hear those words. She wasn't looking at him; she was looking up at the sky, admiring the shining stars that decorated the thick black blanket above. "You're obviously uncomfortable, and I don't want that." She turned her gaze to him, a mischievous grin dancing on her face. "Plus, I'm pretty sure if you think that hard for an extended period of time, your brain might explode. Stick to your simple thoughts, Natsu." The dragon slayer scowled and stuck his tongue at her, which resulted in a cute laugh from his friend below. His dirty look quickly switched into a smile. After Lucy sobered up, she released a long yawn. "Natsu, I'd really love to stay and talk with you more, but it's really late. And I'm a little tired from that train ride." Natsu sighed and looked at her with a pout. He tried to hide his disappointment, but Lucy could see right through his little mask.

"Fine," he said. "You wanna go home and sleep instead of spend some time with me. I get it."

Lucy giggled and stood up to look at him closer. Her eyes were exactly leveled with his when she stood up straight. "It's not that, I promise," she said, lifting a hand to ruffle his rosy hair. "I'm just tired. We can hang out tomorrow."

Natsu whined, resting the side of his head on the cold metal, looking at her with puppy-dog eyes. "That's too long of a wait."

Lucy's smile softened. He was so cute when he was pouting. She spoke on a slightly lower level, her hand now stroking his hair. "You're such a juvenile, Natsu. You're like a little boy."

"So I've been told. Come on." He rolled off the monkey bars, landing perfectly on his feet. He held out a hand to help Lucy down, although he knew she didn't need it. The blonde grinned and took his hand, hopping down to the ground. Just her luck, her foot landed on the one icy spot in the whole park. She gasped as she slipped and fell back. Thankfully, Natsu still had a hold of her hand, and was able to pull her up and into his chest before she bonked her head on the metal pole behind her. "Whoa," he exclaimed. "You _are_ tired." Lucy looked up at him with a small smile before steadying herself. "Let's get you home."

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Natsu felt his mood darken when her apartment came into his line of sight. They arrived at Lucy's house far sooner than they both would've preferred.

"So, uh, I'll see you at the guild?" asked the blonde, clasping her hands together behind her back. Natsu's shoulders dropped. He didn't want to leave her. He didn't want to go home. He never really realized how much fun he has with Lucy until their little trip. And now that they were parting ways, he suddenly felt like there was a pit in his stomach. It was a very unpleasant feeling.

"Uh, yeah," he said softly. He looked down at her. The moon was reflecting in her soft brown eyes, making them shine as she looked up at him. He was finding himself getting lost in her eyes, and looked away while he still had the chance to do so. But now he had a new problem. He was faced with the decision of how to say goodbye. He could hug her. No… If he did, he wasn't so sure he would be able to pull away. He could just say "see ya" and leave. No… That would be easiest, but he couldn't just_ leave_. That would be incredibly rude, even for him, and doing that to Lucy would leave a bad taste in his mouth. So he decided on the lamest one in the book. He held out his hand for her to shake. Lucy looked down at his hand and sighed. _Oh, well._ She reached out and took it, giving it a light shake. But then…she didn't want to pull away. She couldn't. She took in a deep, shaky breath.

"Your hand is really warm," she whispered, looking up at him. It took every fiber in Natsu's being to keep his hand from shaking. Now was the time. It was really going to happen this time. There was nothing to distract them, nothing to interrupt them. It was just _them._ Natsu stepped forward. Keeping his one hand laced with Lucy's, he lifted the other to brush her hair behind her ear. Lucy felt a pink blush crawl onto her cheeks. Feeling a blush take over his own cheeks, he dropped his hand and used it to cradle Lucy's other one. Her skin was so soft…

"Luce," he started softly. He took a deep breath and swallowed the lump in his throat. "Lucy, you are the most wonderful person I've ever met. You're something special to me. You're the one person I can't say 'no' to. It's impossible for me to remember my life before I met you. My day just isn't the same if I don't see you." She smiled softly and he felt his heart skip a beat. "Your smile makes my heart go crazy." He laughed. "_Everything_ about you makes my heart go crazy. You're beautiful in every way, inside and out. You're my best friend, and nothing can ever change that." He paused, smiling weakly. "I-I'd do anything for you, Luce. You're all I can ever think about." Lucy shyly looked down.

"Natsu…"

The rose-haired wizard cupped her chin and gently tilted her head up to look at him. He briefly bit his lip. He inhaled deeply to try and calm his racing heart. He couldn't remember ever being so nervous. "Lucy, I…" He trailed off as he slowly but surely leaned forward. His heart was thumping hard against his chest and all he could hear was the blood rushing in his ears. "I'm in…" Every thought in Lucy's head vanished and time seemed to stop around them. She found herself holding her breath as he got closer. Her heart skipped a beat when she felt his lips barely brush against hers. Natsu hesitated. Why'd he stop? He's _so_ close. Just a little more… Lucy was growing impatient. No. They were so close this time. She wasn't going to let him chicken out now. She pushed herself up on her toes and pressed her lips to his. Natsu made a noise of surprise and his eyes widened in shock. But the shock quickly subsided, and he closed his eyes as he melted into the kiss, eagerly returning it.

The celestial wizard wrapped her arms around the dragon slayer's neck, whilst he snaked his arms around her waist, locking her against him. Lucy tangled her fingers into his hair, gently holding onto the back of his head. She quickly took notice that his lips were searing hot. In fact, his whole body was burning, although she wasn't surprised, nor did she mind. He was radiating a very comfortable heat, and it felt nice to be this close to him, especially in the cold winter air. She could get used to this. Natsu nipped gently on her lower lip. Deepening the kiss, Lucy lightly traced his lips with her tongue. The rosy-haired boy obliged to her request, their tongues battling for dominance. She celestial wizard moaned at the feeling of them being so intimately mashed. Natsu tightened his hold on her waist, pulling her a touch closer, as if she needed to be swayed.

After a minute or two, they broke apart, desperate for air. Lucy looked up at Natsu through her eyelashes. She giggled, earning a small grin from the dragon slayer. "What?" he asked quietly. Lucy shook her head.

"That was just…weird," she said, lifting her head to meet his gaze.

"How so?"

"I don't know. I mean, I just kissed my best friend. I just never thought it would happen."

Natsu chuckled. "Me neither. And I have a admit, it was a little weird. But then again…" He paused, lifting a hand to stroke her cheek. "I've always liked weird." The blonde held his gaze, feeling another blush sneak up her neck. His eyes were so dark and smoldering, and the look he was giving her made her weak in the knees. She giggled nervously and looked away, unable to look into those onyx eyes any longer. Natsu laughed quietly and leaned his forehead against hers.

"Natsu?"

"Hmm?"

"I'm in love with you, too." Natsu grinned and lowered his head to peck her lips.

"Good." The two guild mates shared another two-minute kiss. When they pulled away for the second time, Lucy licked her lips and slid her hands down to his chest.

"I should, um… I should go inside," she told him, looking up at him with apologetic eyes. "It's late." Natsu sighed and loosened his grip around her waist, lifting his hands to remove hers from his chest and hold them.

"Yeah, okay," he said quietly. Lucy knew he was disappointed, so she gave him one last kiss on the cheek before turning toward her door. Natsu held onto one of her hands for as long as he could without moving from his spot, letting it slip from his grip. She opened her door and stopped, looking over her shoulder at him. The fire wizard was entirely incapable of resisting the small voice in his head. He stepped up to her and cupped her cheek in one hand, and her hip in the other. He pulled her into the sweetest kiss, catching her off guard. After a few seconds, he slowly pulled away, just enough to lean his forehead against hers.

"Sorry," he whispered, leaning away. Lucy smiled shyly and stepped inside her apartment, her eyes never leaving his.

"Goodnight, Natsu."

The Salamander grinned warmly. "Night, Luce." The blonde smiled at him and disappeared behind her door. Natsu stared at the door and sighed. He turned around and began towards his own home. A huge grin formed on his face, and he triumphantly shoved his fists in the air. "_Yes!"_ He did it. After two years – or nine, depending on how you look at it – he finally did it.

All thanks to an innocent vacation that lasted one week.

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